Rules of Engagement
by writrsblk
Summary: House and Cuddy a few months after the Season 6 finale. Blame my muse for this one folks, sit back & enjoy the ride :
1. Chapter 1

Hi to all Huddies far and wide! Well, I don't know how long this fic will last, but I felt the need to write some Huddy during our House hiatus drought. This fic is set a few months after the Season 6 finale. Hope you all enjoy J

**Rules of Engagement**

**Chapter 1**

It's morning, Monday morning to be exact…. and just five minutes after her alarm has gone off beside her on the nightstand and she has hit the snooze button to be even more exact, when Cuddy awakens to find House's fingers making their way underneath the hem of her nightgown as he spoons her from behind.

"I'm so glad you followed the rules, Lisa." He teases to her in a whisper as his fingers trace the curve of her left hip.

The rule, or to be more exact, _his rule _for her is simple...

She is to wear no panties when they share the same bed.

The "new rule" having been told her just late last night by him after they had sex in this very bed. His ego, along with his sarcastic sense of humor, now freed from the tight reins he had kept on it during those first few days of their budding relationship, now alive and well as they approached their fifth month together as a couple.

Of course in true House fashion he told her this "new rule" was in fact, all her fault. Informing her with that smug smile of his that it was because of _her _insatiable appetite for sex that he needed to have easy access to her love muffin in case the mood would suddenly strike her in the middle of the night.

She had rolled her eyes at him and called him a jerk of course but…..truth be told, they were having _a lot _of sex. Even now, months later, they could not simply get enough of each other.

That was one thing she knew neither one of them had expected. Both of them well versed in how quickly the spark of attraction can fizzle as real life and all of its problems moves in-between a couple. However, the powerful connection between them seemed to be as hell bent as House was at times in breaking all the rules. The need, not only to have sex as often as they could, but also the need to touch each other, or share a kiss or even more unbelievable, talk to each other, even though the spent most of their days together was unlike anything either of them had experienced before. The electricity coursing between them, showing no signs of losing its power, leaving them both feeling very much like the kids they had been back in Michigan.

"The only reason I'm not wearing panties is because your ripped them off of me last night." Cuddy reminded House with a half smile as she remained lying on her side with her back facing him, reaching her hand out to touch the forearm of the hand he had resting on her hip, rolling her eyes when she felt him grinding his morning wood into her lower back.

House smirked from behind her, instinctively reading the expression on her face, even if it was turned away from him.

"I'll have you know my sweet Dean of the sexy ass that by the time I'm through with you…..you'll never want to wear panties again." He challenged back to her just before placing a soft kiss on her shoulder and moving his hand off of her hip, sliding it down smoothly between her thighs.

"Dream on, House." Cuddy responded, however with a small gasp escaping her lips as second later when feeling the scratch of his beard on her skin followed by the soft bite of his teeth on her shoulder.

House chuckled softly into her skin at her response. Knowing the conversation between them is to simple get her turned on more than anything else. Knowing the sarcastic nature in her tone is trying its damdest to hide her desire for him.

"You're such a grump in the morning. Think I need to loosen you up a bit." He says to her suggestively as his hand pushes her thighs apart with just the right amount of authority he knows she loves before his lips start kissing and nipping at her neck.

"Are you sure you can get it up this early in the morning?" Cuddy questions to him in seductive purr and smart ass grin meant to egg him on even more as she reaches back and caresses his jaw.

"In case you haven't noticed. He's already up." House mutters back to her, sliding his finger down over her clit while making sure to press his cock against her soft ass.

He hears her breath catching in her throat, her back arching just slightly against him.

She wants him. Wants every part of him. Even now. Even months later with a few really good fights under their belts. She still wants him.

"Beside you know I really can't get enough of you." He adds with a deep tone beginning to gently stroke her clit.

A small moan escapes Cuddy lips, House breath hot and searing on her neck. God he makes her feels so good.

"_Mmmm_ someone is _very wet _this morning. Does that have anything to do with me?" House softly murmurs into Cuddy's skin, his middle finger now easing inside of her.

"Yes." Cuddy breathes out, nodding her head in agreement as another soft moan is released from her lips, her left hand, reaching up for the headboard and holding onto it tightly, her thighs parting even wider as his middle finger now pumps in and out of her slowly, his thumb pressing down and circling her clit with that same aching rhythm.

He loves that she doesn't hesitate anymore when he asks her now. Loves how she opens up to him both physically and mentally without reserve. Loves the way her hips are riding his finger, her clit pressed hard into his thumb, loves the way her ass is rubbing up and down his cock.

"You want me to fuck this morning, Lisa? Want me to make you cum good and hard before you go into work and deal with all the bullshit? Including mine?" House asks her just as his thumb starts flicking her clit.

Again Cuddy gasps, nodding rapidly.

"Fuck me, House." She orders in a heat soaked whisper, using his last name as her hips continue to rock against his fingers, her juices coating them with their warm.

She feels him smile against her shoulder, knowing he loves it when she talks to him like, loving that fact that her words has caused his cock to twitch in anticipation against her back.

"I thought you'd never ask." House replies with a low growl, surprising Cuddy by quickly removing his hand and pushing her onto her back, pulling the top of her nightgown down to expose her breasts and finding an amazing, desire soaked smile upon her lips as she lets out a soft laugh with those amazing grey eyes of hers alive and focused solely on him.

He wastes no time climbing on top of her, pushing her legs apart and guiding himself into her drenched pussy with one smooth, hard thrust.

"Oh God." Cuddy hisses, before her teeth are pressed into his neck as she wraps her arms around his back.

House dips his head down and captures her left nipple, sucking on it hard as he begins to pump slowly in and out of her, listening to Cuddy cry out in the best kind of way as her hand fists in his hair. Her cries of ecstasy, the kind that causes her to close the bedroom door at night so they do not wake Rachel because he is taking her higher than she's ever been. The way her body arches up to him, letting him know how much she truly belongs to him and only him.

She lift her hips and he slips in deeper inside of her, his mouth moving off of her breast, head lifting to look into her eyes as he gasps. His lungs suddenly burning from the way his heart is beating so fast now as he reaches for her hands and pins them down on the bed beneath them both. Their fingers intertwined as he shifts his own hips and driving into her now with short powerful thrusts that cause the bed to rock slightly.

His right leg start to throbs, but he ignores it for now, knowing that the rush of his impending orgasm with soon offset the pain.

"Fuck." House cries out hoarsely, his cock pumping repeatedly into Cuddy as she moans below him, his mouth lowering down to capture her lips as she lifts her legs high in the air above them with her delicate toes pointed towards the ceiling.

Unable to hold back any longer, Cuddy tears her lips away from House's kiss, struggling to breath…as the words… _oh god…. _and_…. oh fuck _fall from her lips as her thighs begin to shake, her orgasm crashing into her as she utters his first name. The tidal wave of electricity exploding to life and rocking every inch of her body, leaving her clit throbbing as her walls clamp down on him.

"Oh god,..oh Greg." She moans with a strained voice, her hands sliding down and gripping his hips tightly, urging him to keep pumping inside of her hard and fast, jack hammering her even further into ecstasy.

With sweat now beading his forehead, House looks down at Cuddy, her face flushed, eyes slit in the wake of her orgasm, nipples hard and pointed towards him. Sheer beauty and desire surrounding him as her pussy continues to massage his cock, her hips bucking up into him.

"Fuck Lisa, you're going to make me cum!" He manages to choke out, literally straddling the edge of release just before he experiences his own orgasm.

Flashing lights are now pulsing underneath his closed eyelids, his leg not hurting as much now as the endorphins rushes to it while Cuddy places soft kisses on his chin and bottom lip, her hands on his ass, helping him to keep up the rhythm of his still bucking hips until he slows them completely, the waves of his powerful climax riding down his spine and into his toes.

Cuddy waits and gives him a few seconds to ride out his orgasm before pulling House into a deep kiss while wrapping her arms and legs around him.

The kiss between them is slow and sweet before they move their lips away from each other with House placing his forehead against Cuddy's forehead as they both try and catch their breath.

"See…. " House gasps.

"I told you the no panties rule would be a win-win for both of us." He teases with a smile as the woman beneath him lets out the kind of laugh that goes straight to his heart.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the great reviews! I can't tell you how much they mean to me after being away from writing Huddy for awhile. Now, onto the next chapter!**

**Rules of Engagement**

**Chapter 2**

"Hey! It's me!" Two and a half year old Rachel Cuddy announces while knocking on her Mother's bedroom door.

"Hold on a second Rugrat." House answers, getting out of the bed and reaching for his underwear that he had tossed onto the floor last night before slipping them back on.

Cuddy is now in the master bathroom after their morning romp in the sack. The steady drum of the shower echoing into the bedroom from the open doorway connecting the two rooms.

Limping towards the bedroom door, a smile suddenly rises on House's face as he hears Cuddy singing in the shower, knowing that giving his girlfriend a mind blowing orgasm this morning is the cause for her sudden musical prowess.

_That's right Lisa, Daddy knows how to keep you happy, _he thinks proudly to himself, soon reaching the bedroom door where he disengages the lock and twists the knob.

"What's up poopey pants?" House questions down to the little girl as Rachel stands before him, dressed in a pink Barbie nightgown.

The girl is the very epitome of cuteness, with dark hair that curls at the ends, a cherub face and big blue eyes that always seem to sparkle with curiosity.

"I not a poopey pants anymore cuz I go to the potty now." Rachel informs him in a frank munchkin voice as she breezes past him while slapping him on the knee for his comment.

House can't help but smile at the toddler, his eyes now tracing her every move.

His rule, the rule he had set early on about trying to tolerate the child for Lisa's sake even, if Rachel had turned out to be a huge pain in the ass had effective collapsed around him when he had found much to surprise the one thing he had not expected. That his heart, how ever jaded and cold it had been at times was no match for Rachel Cuddy. His often rough exterior melted away by the way Rachel would smile at him with happiness, just because he had talked to her when she had asked him questions. His stomach tied in knots at the way she would reach out without hesitation and take his large hand in her small one as they walked side by side. Even if it was only to lead him from the front door to the living, so she could show him the picture she drew of him while he was a the hospital. The granite exterior he could call upon in a moments notice to push away those who he either despised or could hurt him too easily, shattering at his and laying crumbled at his feet by the way Rachel looked up to him in a way that had nothing to do with his obvious height advantage over her.

"Well, even though you don't poop your pants anymore, you still stink." House informs the child with a wiry grin as Rachel climbs up into the empty bed.

"You stink stinky pants." Rachel responds with a giggle, sticking out her tongue at him.

Again House smiles.

He smiles a lot when Rachel's around. He likes that she does that to him. That her mere presence seems to bring out something in him that he thought had died a long time ago.

"Touché." He says to her.

"Yeah, toot shave." Rachel mimics with another giggle before turning her head towards the open doorway of the bathroom.

"House, my Mommy going hospital soon?" The little girl asks him while sitting in the bed and looking so very small inside of it.

"Yep." House replies, limping over to the empty side of the bed and sitting down next to her.

Rachel watches him silently for a moment as House lifts his left and then his right up, resting them on mattress.

"House, you gonna stay with me for a little bit fore you go hospital too?" Rachel asks him hopefully.

House rolls his eyes at her.

"Now why would I want to that?" He mutters to her, watching as Rachel narrows her eyes, trying to think of a good reason for him to stay with her.

"Umm….we can watch the Scooby Doo once Mommy leaves!" She tells him with an excited high pitched voice as she claps her hands.

"Well, since I really like Scooby Doo, I guess I'll stay for here for a little bit longer." House agrees as Rachel's big blue eyes continue to look up at him, seeing nothing but goodness and light in him because she has never witnessed even a hint of darkness yet in her young life.

"Yes!" The girl exclaims, leaning forward without hesitation and placing a kiss on his lips.

"Settle down Beavis or Mommy's not going to let me stay with you." House warns her with a low whisper.

"Ok Beevise, I settled down." Rachel whispers as she nods her head.

House smiles again.

Rachel wants him to stay with her so badly she is practically bursting with excitement. This little girl who is nothing but pure innocence and light actually _wants_ his company and he finds the realization leaves him completely vulnerable to her in a way that has never happened to him before.

"Hey baby, you up already?" Cuddy asks her daughter, walking back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her body as the damp hair that she had towel dried a few minutes ago is forming loose ringlets on her head.

"Yep Mommy, I'm done sleeping!" Rachel announces with an excited voice, bouncing up onto her knees so she can reach out and give her Mother a hug.

"Oh, you're just a little jumping bean today!" Cuddy remarks with a laugh as she picks the little girl up in her arms.

"Mmmmm! You smell good Mommy!" Rachel exclaims, nuzzling her mother's neck as she takes in a deep breath.

Cuddy let's out a small laugh. "Thank you sweetie." She coo's, caressing Rachel's back and glancing over at House as she feels the weight of his stare upon her.

When they had first started seeing each other she had hoped that House would at least find some small way to connect with Rachel, but when he looks at them that way….. quiet and thoughtful she knows without a shadow of a doubt that House has found the same sweet surprise that she has. That he loves Rachel and sees all the beauty in her daughter that she does, in spite of the hell he had put her through when she was trying to adopt the abandoned baby. This side of him, making him even more irresistible to her as he continues to show her the kind of man he wants to be for her.

"Are you gonna be ok with Rachel for a few hours or do you need me to call Marina?" Cuddy asks him, keeping her thoughts to herself along with the feeling of warmth they give to her as Rachel runs her small fingers through her damp hair.

House rolls his eyes at her. "I think I've more than proved to you in the past that I can handle tater tot for a few hours." He tells her with a slightly irritated tone.

"Yeah Mommy! I want House be with me fore he goes working with you!" Rachel agrees squirming in Cuddy's arms until her Mother places her back on the bed.

The little girl then quickly crawls over to House, snuggle up under his arm with her back resting against his shoulder.

House looks over at Cuddy with a broad smile, wrapping arm around the little girl.

"Hmm, good to know both Cuddy women seem to find me irascible in bed this morning." He comments over to her while giving her a look that reminds of her of him being buried deep inside of her, not so very long ago in this very bed.

His comment causes Cuddy to blush and clear her throat.

No one has ever had the kind of effect on her. The carefully subdued mention of their sexual encounters leaving her flustered.

"Fine." Cuddy says evenly, her mind now saturated with the image of them making love in the bed this morning.

"Just remember, you better be at the hospital by nine." She adds before turning and walking back into the bathroom.

"Anything you save love muffin." House replies, watching as Cuddy cringes and Rachel laughs, his lover and boss turning her head and narrowing her eyes at him before she turns back around and disappears into the bathroom once more.

"I like it when Mommy's hair's all wet. She looks so pretty." Rachel remarks with a small sigh, turning on her side to look up at House.

"House, do like Mommy when she's all wet?" The girl then asks him innocently.

"I sure do kid." House answers with a smirk on his face that will takes years for Rachel to understand.

####################################################################################################################################

_Damn him. Damn him for being so good in bed this morning that she can't concentrate on the report in front of her,_ Cuddy thinks as she tosses her pen on her desk and leans back in chair.

What's wrong with her? It's not like she's some love sick, sexually charged, nineteen year old? And yet, just like many days before this one, all Cuddy can do after she has sex with House is think about how utterly amazing it is. Actually missing the taste of him, the smell of him, the feel of his body next to hers as if they are two lovers who have been separated for years and not to middle aged people who practically see each other for the better parts of their days.

She glances over at the time on her computer screen. It's currently eight am and in about an hour, he should be here.

Correction, in about and hour_ he better be here_.

The rule, her rule after they first gotten together was even though he was '_banging the boss_' as House so eloquently had put it from time to time just to irritate her, was there was _no way in hell _he was going to waltz in here at noon everyday. Especially considering how they both would be scrutinized by the hospital board once their relationship became public…which didn't take very long at all.

Sometimes she could strangle Wilson, but not more so then when Wilson had walked in on her and House in bed together in House's apartment.

To say she had been mortified, she felt was an understatement as her mind struggle for another word, especially considering that when Wilson had walked in on them the were deep within the throws of passion, with her on top no less.

Cuddy shook her head at the memory now playing on inside of her head. The echo of her high pitched scream as Wilson called out House's name from the doorway of the bedroom, making her feel the embarrassment of the moment all over again.

Wilson knew House was having sex with someone in his bed because of all the noise they were making, but….because Wilson could also act like a adolescent boy at times too, the oncologist had made it his duty to interrupt the festivities. Set on embarrassing his friend as he walked up silently to the doorway of the bedroom before his jaw had dropped to the floor.

Thank god House had pulled her down next to him in that moment so Wilson did not get a bird's eye view of her breasts bouncing up and down in the air. Although she was sure Wilson got a pretty good view of her ass before House had pulled the sheet over them both.

"_Oh my god! I'm sorry….I'm so sorry!" _Wilson had blurted out back then, with the end of his sentence quickly becoming enveloped with his laughter.

Cuddy shook her head, gritting her teeth at how utterly humiliated she had been.

Of all people to catch them …Wilson had been the worst possible candidate.

For a few days Wilson did little more than whisper what he thought were _hilarious _remarks at both of them. Asking them if they had thrown their backs out during their hot monkey sexcapade. Asking her if she had ever shattered glass with her voice when she experienced an orgasm considering how _extremely_ loud she was in bed.

And then, with the news of their relationship causing his mouth to salivate like a starving dog, Wilson opened up the flood gates. Telling House's team first before spreading the gossip throughout the rest of the hospital.

"Hey, do you have a minute?" Wilson asks after knocking softly at her office door before peeking his head inside.

"Sex life with Sam that boring that you need to watch House and I again?" Cuddy quips, learning very early on in life to take the sting of embarrassment away by turning it around as if it had not phased her in the least.

Wilson smiles, taking a step inside of her office and closing the door behind him.

"You're very chipper today. Guess big Daddy took care of you real good this morning." He teases as he takes a few steps closer to her desk.

Cuddy clenches her jaw. _Wilson is so going to pay for that one. _But not now….later. Later when she has time to plot her revenge with House.

"Do you have a _real reason _for being here besides being way too interested in my sex life?" She asks impatiently, crossing her legs under her desk.

Wilson bites down on his bottom lip for a moment to keep another smartass remark from escaping his mouth.

He literally cannot help himself at times. The thought of his best friend and his boss finally admitting their feelings to each other while also finding them both in a very compromising position early on in their relationship, an endless well of material to torture them both with, even if, in his heart, Wilson is truly overjoyed at the two of them being together.

"Actually I do have a real reason for being here. I wanted to know if you and House want to go out to dinner with Sam and me on Friday." Wilson tells her with another smile.

Cuddy shakes her head.

"Why do you two always want us to come along?" She asks him, still annoyed at the moment that Wilson has had the upper hand on her for quite some time now.

"Because, Lisa Cuddy, believe it or not Sam and I actually like having you and House around." Wilson responds in a good natured tone.

This time it is Cuddy who bites down on her bottom lip.

Never waste an opportunity, that's why life as taught her. Especially if she can cook up a plan with House to embarrass Wilson on their double date, and so…..after a brief pause, Cuddy accepts the invitation.

"Fine, we'll go."

"Great! Sam and I will pick you guys up at eight." Wilson replies before turning to leave

"Hey, where are we going?" Cuddy asks just as he reaches for the doorknob.

Wilson opens the door, his back still turned to her.

"It's a surprise." He informs her before leaving her office.

#################################################################################################################################

Back at Cuddy's place, House and Rachel are fifteen minutes into a Scooby Doo cartoon, lying side by side and sharing a box of fruit loops in Cuddy's bed that House has placed on his lap.

"I think that ghost gonna get caught." Rachel informs House with a cautious tone as she shoves a handful of fruit loops into her mouth, her eyes currently glued to the screen.

"You think so?" House questions, reaching into the box resting on his lap to pick out a few fruit loops for himself before popping them into his mouth.

Rachel nods. "Yeah, that Daphne girl smart. She figure it out. One day Imma be smart like her." The girl informs him, raising her eyes to meet his gaze.

House looks at down Rachel and smiles.

"I have news for you rugrat, you already are smart." He tells her with a soft voice.

"I am?" Rachel asks him with disbelief.

House nods. "Sure you are. In fact, there aren't many little girls your age who can repeat the alphabet _and _count up to twenty." He tells her with a serious face.

"There aren't?" Rachel questions, again with disbelief.

"Nope…in fact most girls your age are still popping in their pants." House assures her while biting back his smile.

Rachel laughs at his joke, jumping up and nearly tipping over the cereal box on his lap as she hugs him.

"I wuv you House! You my best friend!" She tells him in a sweet voice filled with the aching honesty of a child.

House swallows hard as Rachel loosens her grip on him, her small hands now cupping his face, her small fingers stroking his beard.

He is no match for her when she treats him this way. When she touches him so gently.

"You're not so bad yourself, kid." He replies back to her in a voice so soft it resembles the tone of a lullaby, daring to reach up and move a stray lock of her hair away from her cherub face before his eyes focus on the clock behind them.

"Crap! Listen Rach, I need you to go and get the dust buster from the closet now so we can clean up our crumbs and keep Mommy from finding out that we eat cereal in bed." He then instructs the child.

"Oh crap! It time for you go working?" Rachel asks him.

House nearly bites through his bottom lip so as not to laugh his ass of at her choice of words.

"Rachel, promise me not to say crap anymore. Ok?" He asks of her in a calm voice.

Rachel looks at him knowingly. "Crap is a bad word?" She ask him.

"Yeah, and your Mommy wouldn't like hearing you saying that." He tells her as her left hand continues to caress the stubble on his face.

"Ok stinky pants I not say crap and get the baby vacuum!" Rachel agrees with a giggle, giving him a peck on the lips before crawling down off of the bed and running into the hallway like a bat out of hell.

House laughs softly and closes the cereal box as he watches her go, still mesmerized at how incredible the little girl really is. At how amazing Rachel Cuddy makes him feel about himself every time they are together. Knowing it's because through Rachel's eyes, he is her friend.

Humbled at times by the fact that Rachel loves him in the most sacred way that only a child can.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! Well here's another chapter that I hope you all will enjoy! ****Once again thanks for the great reviewsand as far as any spelling mistakes. I try and review each chapter before I post as best I can but sometimes I think the tension of a long day at work gets the best of me. Also I have found when I upload the chapters, sometimes words get left out for whatever odd reason. I try and go back and fix as many of these as I can, hopefully you all understand. **

**Chapter 3**

"Wow! Somebody really must want Daddy to spank her good tonight." House comments over to Cuddy, his eyes moving over inch of her body as she walks into the living where his is sitting on the couch with Rachel, already dressed in his standard attire of jeans, a graphic t-shirt and light blue dress shirt for their double date with Wilson and Sam.

Standing before him, Cuddy is wearing a flower print summer dress that is hugging her curves in all the right places. The plunging halter cut top of the dress, showing off her breasts very nicely indeed. The hem of the dress, resting a good four inches above her knees and giving him a great view of her gorgeous legs. Her feet, adored with white strappy sandals that spark very naughty thoughts from the him as he is leering at her from the couch.

If it wasn't for Rachel being here, House would have wasted no time in pinning Cuddy up against the wall right then and there, leaving both Wilson and Sam knocking at the front door while he screwed her senseless.

"Hey, you're not allowed spank my Mommy!" Rachel yells, narrowing her eyes at House with a stern look upon her face that is absolutely adorable.

"Better tell that to your Mommy, kid." House whispers to the child with a gleam in his eyes.

"_House_." Cuddy warns, the tone of her voice and use of his last name telling him to knock it the hell off.

Lucky for her, Rachel mistakes the sexual glimmer in House's eyes as just another one of the funny things he says to her and the child lets out an innocent giggle before hopping off the couch and waking towards her.

"Mommy you look so pretty! Just like a princess!" The little girl exclaims as she touches the hem of her Cuddy's dress.

"Thank you sweetie." Cuddy replies softly, bending down and cupping the side of Rachel's face with left hand.

"Actually I think your Mommy looks like a birthday cake." House remarks, getting up from the couch and taking a few steps towards them until he is now standing beside both Cuddy and Rachel.

Cuddy already knows where this is going and opens her mouth to stop him, however, Rachel is quicker.

"You think my Mommy look like a birdday cake, House?" The toddler asks him with a wrinkle in her brow.

"Mmmhmm." House says to the child with a nod and a smile before his eyes travel slowly up Cuddy's body.

"See these flowers here on Mommy's dress?" He then asks Rachel while placing his hand on Cuddy's abdomen.

"Mmmhmm." Rachel mimics in agreement, now hanging on his every word.

Cuddy eyes House carefully, warning him again, this time silently, not to push things too far.

"Well, those pretty flowers remind of the flowers you see on birthday cakes." House goes on to tell the little girl with a soft and somewhat animated voice.

Rachel stares at the flowers on her Mother's dress for a few seconds then smiles up at House.

"They do look like birdday cake flowers!" She squeals with delight.

Cuddy smiles, the tone of excitement in her daughter's voice, possibly the sweetest thing on earth she's ever heard.

She then looks over at House and gives him an apologetic smile for misjudging his intent when commenting on her dress.

However, when House smiles back at her with a slight wiggle of his eyebrows, she knows her gut reaction was indeed correct.

"You know what else Rachel?" House asks the little girl as the fingers of his hand start to caress Cuddy's stomach.

"What?" Rachel asks with enthusiasm.

"Seeing your Mommy in this dress makes me want to eat her, just like a birthday cake." House tells the girl with sweet but oh so sinful tone to his voice that will of course drift down to the child without her knowing the true meaning of his words.

The toddler giggles. "Do you think Mommy would taste like a birdday cake?" The girl asks, not aware of the blush that her words are bringing to her Mother's face.

House gives Rachel a wide grin before shifting his gaze up to Cuddy.

"I think your Mommy would taste even better than a birthday cake. In fact, I think I could eat her all day long." He tells the child as beside him Cuddy's face turns an even brighter shade of red.

###############################################################################################################################################

"An amusement park? We're going on a double date to an _amusement park_?" Cuddy asks with disbelief as Wilson pulls into the parking lot of The Great Adventure theme park.

"Well, for all we know love muffin, this place could be an _adult _theme park with giant vibrators and towers of lube." House remarks over to Cuddy as he sits in the back seat of Wilson's car with her.

Cuddy narrows her eyes at him. "Not funny." She replies.

House smirks at her. "It is kind of funny when you think about it. Iimagine Wilson riding a big vibrator." He jokes.

Ok,_ that is funny _and makes her smile...just a little.

"Lisa, if you're really that uncomfortable with what you're wearing you know James wouldn't mind running you back to your place to change." Sam offeres from the front seat, producing a fake smile that Cuddy knows is anything but genuine.

"That's ok Sam, I'll be fine." Cuddy replies with a fake smile of her own, damned if she's going to make everyone sit in the car for another twenty five minute ride back to her place just so she can change clothes.

"Are you sure?" Sam asks again.

"Yeah Lisa, just say the word and I'll turn around so you can change." Wilson chimes in.

"It's ok Wilson, I'll be fine." Cuddy replies with another fake smile, knowing that the only reason House is being quiet about all of this is becaues he too is well aware of the game Sam is playing. A game in which she pretends to be whatever Wilson needs her to be while hiding the fact the she hates his best friend as well as the double dates they go on. A game that Cuddy knows will end badly sooner or later and a game that she and House have agreed to let play out on its own so that Sam will have no one to blame but herself when it all blows up in her face.

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"The only way to ride a rollercoaster is to go with the first seat in the front." House tells Cuddy as they stand in line with Wilson and Sam for the ride.

Cuddy looks up at him as she ponders the proposal. She hasn't been on a coaster in years, probably not since she was a medical student.

"Sure you're up to that? I mean this is an old wooden coaster and things could get very bumpy on there." She replies back to him coolly.

House smirks down at her. He knew Cuddy would be game. That part of her that is willing to take risks something he finds very attractive in her, most likely because of all the risks she's taken with him throughout the years.

Listening to their conversation, Wilson turns to talk to Sam as they stand next to House and Cuddy in a separate line so they can all ride together.

"Listen honey, I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to ride in the middle." He tells her, clearly a bit nervous about getting on the coaster.

"Aw, my poor baby! Of course I'll ride in the middle with you." Sam replies with a sweet voice while wrapping her arms around Wilson.

From beside them both House & Cuddy share a look that neither Wilson or Sam sees. Both of them feeling the need to suddenly vomit over Sam's comment while from above them a loud buzzer goes off as the cars carrying the current riders of the roller coaster enter into the station, their journey halted as the air brakes bring them to a stop while the metal bars House and Cuddy are standing behind swing open.

################################################################################################################################################

Within a few short minutes Cuddy finds herself in the first car of the roller coaster with House seated next to her.

Because of the age of the coaster there is not divider between them, only a lap bar that one of the workers at the amusement park has just lowered down on their thighs, the scar on his right leg not in danger of feeling the additional pressure of the bar because it is located on the side of his leg.

"Do have enough room?" Cuddy asks House anyway just to make sure he's comfortable.

"I'm fine." House responds before leaning closer to her and whispering in her ear.

"Hey, did you ever see the move Fear? It came out in the nineties, starred Marky Mark...the guy with the third nipple?"He asks.

It takes Cuddy a minute to process the strange question before she nods.

"Yeah, I saw it." She responds.

House smiles at her, his hand moving to her thigh. One nice thing about the tight dresses and skirts Cuddy wears is that they have a delicious way of inching up on her legs and exposing even more of her soft skin when she sits down.

Cuddy immediately knows what House has in mind as she continues to look up into his amazing blue eyes.

House smiles back at her. "So, feel like recreating a certain scene in that movie?" He asks her just to be sure.

Again Cuddy nods, leaning closer to him and giving him a soft gentle kiss just as the coaster starts to slowly leave the station.

Taking in a breath, Cuddy can feel the pounding of her heart in anticipation of what's to come as the coaster slowly inches up the sharp incline with a clacking sound.

Keeping his eyes locked onto hers, House sneaks his hand under the hem of her dress.

Listening to the screams of the people behind them on the ride leaves them both smiling for a moment before Cuddy takes in a sharp breath as House uses his middle finger to push aside the silky fabric of the panties she's wearing.

Within the next second, the coaster reaches the first peak and starts to plummet down the steep hill.

Cuddy lets out a gasp, her hand moving on top of his. The wind now rushing past them as House's middle finger starts stroking her clit.

House watches her with a silent wonder, drinking in the sight of her as they create the rhythm of his hand together. Her slender fingers guiding his thicker, masculine ones. Her grey eyes filled with life. Dark pupils wide as they focus in on his face, while her own beautiful face is soaked with desire as she bites down on her bottom lip.

The roller coaster is now cutting through the wind, the stars above them, rushing by like comets. The beast beneath them, made of wood and steel, alive and breathing just as fast as they are. The flutter in Cuddy's stomach as car shoots up the next steep hill, only one of two reasons why she is crying as House pushes his middle finger inside of her, his thumb taking over the spot on her clit.

Adrenaline and ecstasy collide inside of Cuddy's body during the sharp banked turn they are now entering into, her eyes fluttering closed as her lips part, mouth wide as she struggles to breathe in the air that is rushing past her.

The time it has taken her to climax is no more than a minute or so because of the overload of the combating thrills. The pounding of her heart now echoing inside of her head as she is taken higher than any coaster could reach with House's thumb and middle finger continuing to work their magic.

Seconds pass with the car now riding up and down some small hills known as camel backs, House's finger inside of Cuddy slowing as she squeezes his hand gently.

As the car reaches a straight stretch of track, Cuddy opens up her eyes once more, looking over at House with nothing but utter bliss written all over her face, her mouth smiling as his hand moves down to her bare knee with her hand still on top of it.

From a few feet down the track, a camera flashes in the dark, capturing their image. The end of the ride is only a few seconds away. The roller coaster now slowing even more as the air brakes come into play.

Inside the car however, Cuddy knows that the feeling resounding inside of her pounding heart will linger on. Over hills and down mountains. Always there within her. Always there when she is next to the man she cannot do without. A man who makes the ride more than worth it, with enough thrills and surprises around every turn to keep her coming back for more.

**TBC…..**


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everyone! Well, Sunday feels like a Huddy day to me….so…..here you go! By the way this part of the story will be broken up into several parts ..but I will try my best to get the following chapters up within the next few days. Enjoy and thanks for all the reviews I've received so far!

**Chapter 4**

"Wow! That is a really good picture of the two of you." Wilson comments over to House and Cuddy as the four of them, including Sam of course, stand in front of the booth near the exit of the roller coaster they had just been upon, looking up at the images that had been snapped by the camera near the end of the ride.

"What can I say, Lisa loves bumpy rides." House comments back to his friend with a sly smirk before glancing over at Cuddy who is biting back her smile as she stands beside him.

"Yes, well... where to next?" Cuddy asks after clearing her throat slightly, needing to get away from the picture before a blush rises up from her cheeks.

"Hmm, well we could go-" Wilson starts to say.

"Oh my god, Wilson! What the hell is up with that picture of you and Sam?" House interrupts loudly a second later as his eyes shift back to the booth they are standing in front of. His cane, now pointing to the image that has just popped up one of the small TV several screens inside the booth.

Wilson cringes, looking up at the photo of himself sitting beside Sam, with his mouth open wide like some kind of large mouthed bass and his eyebrows looking as if they ready to jump off of his face.

"I…it was a very steep drop." Wilson mumbles with embarrassment, while rubbing the back of his neck.

House gives him a look of disgust. "Do you even have a penis anymore? Or does Sam have it mounted above the fireplace now?" He asks.

"Oh that's really mature House, figures you'd find a way to spoil this double date." Sam quickly snaps at him with a holier than thou tone.

"I hardly think our double date is ruined because House said something sarcastic to Wilson, especially considering they have been friends since….well, I guess ever since you and Wilson got divorced." Cuddy replies back to the Sam with a tone that does not hide her irritation at the words Sam as spoken. Her resolve to hold back, dissolving after the woman's blatant attempt to pin some kind of blame on House over what is pretty much everyday conversation for the three of them, when Sam is not around of course.

Sam stares back at Cuddy blankly for a moment. "Lisa, are you trying insulting me?" She then asks frankly as the vein on the right side of her temple begins to throb.

With a cool expression, Cuddy shakes her head no while resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the woman and really let her have it. "Sam, I was just stating a simple fact in regards to how long James and Greg have known each other. There's really no need to be so defensive." She answers with a tone that is both clam and collective, which has been used several times in the past by her when she has given people just enough rope to hang themselves with.

Sam blinks, caught off guard and surprised by the anger that had quickly rose up inside of her at the thought that Lisa was trying to...well, put her in her place, before her mind warns her to stop and think before speaking this time as she suddenly realizes just how shaking the ground beneath her really is.

One wrong move, one hint of anger in her tone towards Lisa...and James may very well see that she is not as perfect as she wants him to believe she is.

"I'm sorry Lisa, I guess I'm just a little messed up from that roller coaster ride." Sam replies with another fake smile.

Right on cue, the boy wonder swings into action, placing his arm around Sam's waist.

"It's ok Sam…..riding a roller coaster can take a lot out of person." Wilson tells her with a sympathetic smile.

"Do you want to get a drink or something?" He then quickly offers to his girlfriend as he gives her waist a small squeeze.

Sam smiles over at him, "Yes James, that would be nice." She replies in a somewhat weak voice.

Wilson leans in and gives Sam a small kiss just before the two of them start walking towards one of the refreshment stands a couple of hundred yards away from the roller coaster.

"Hey, are you two coming?" He then yells back over his shoulder at House and Cuddy.

"We'll catch up to you in a minute!" Cuddy yells back to him, needing sometime to cool off before spending anymore time with Sam.

Turning back around, Cuddy looks up at House, who is looking down at her with a devilish grin upon his face.

"What?" She questions with a wrinkled brow.

"Is it wrong that I want to see you and Sam get into a catfight just so she had rip that dress off of you?" House asks her while taking a step closer to her, his vibrant blue eyes lowering to the cleavage perfectly housed between the halter top of the dress she is wearing.

Cuddy gives him a teasing grin. "Oh, I bet your _awfully horny _after our little roller coaster ride. Too bad there's really no way for you to get some release while we're here." She whispers with a soft voice before closing the remaining space between and wrapping her arms around his neck.

House gives her a stern look. "It's not very polite to be taunting the man who just got you off." He counters, as from beside them, a teenage kid bumps into his shoulder.

"Hey! Watch it Justin Bieber!" House growls at the skinny teen, who looks to be about seventeen, with jet black hair that it cut in most ridiculous, side swept mop, kind of way.

The kid gives him a sour and unimpressed look. "Sorry Gramps." He mumbles before his eyes dart over to Cuddy, with a smug smile rising up on his face.

"Hey Milf, if you ever get sick of Mister Viagra I'll be over at the Centipide." The boy then says to her, giving Cuddy a wink as he let's out a soft laugh just before he turns to go.

"Not so fast smartass!" House grumbles as he hooks his cane around the kid's neck and pulls him back just as the boy starts to walk away from them.

"House, no." Cuddy warns in an even tone, placing her hand on top of his.

House darts his eyes over to her. "Relax Milf, I'm not going to kill the loser without a cause." He assures her, however still keep the cane around the boy's neck as he turns the kid to face them once more.

"Hey Gramps either let me go or that cane is going up your ass!" The boy warns while gripping onto the cane with both hands.

There is however, a slight tremble to the boy's voice that tells House the teenage is far from being the toughass he wants so badly to be.

"Easy there teenage dirt bag. I have proposition for you." House tells kid as he removes the cane from around the boy's neck.

The boy looks at him for moment, his young face changing to one of confusion before his eyes widen slightly.

"Listen dude, I'm not gay if that's what you're thinking." The kid replies frankly.

House shakes his head and let's out a sigh while hearing the sound of Cuddy's soft laughter beside him.

"Listen _dude_, I assume that getting your hair just right and buying all those crappy clothes you're wearing…..and well, pretty much everything else you do that you think will make you look cool to the other kids you hang around with takes a lot of money. So, what would you say if I told you for less than 15 minutes of your time ..I'll pay you fifty bucks?" House offers.

The kid's face once again takes on a look of confusion until he suddenly smiles, with his eyes moving over to Cuddy.

"_Oh_, so you want me to do _your wife_ while you watch?" The boy says softly with those same eyes now moving over the body of the older, but still smoking hot and sexy as hell dark haired woman standing next to the old, cranky douche bag, the boy's mind now starting to run through every online porno he's seen in which such a scenario has been played out.

A look of instant disgust pops up on Cuddy's face, her jaw dropping as she let's out a gasp.

"First of all we're not married, and second of all…it's beyond disgusting that you would even think…" She starts to say with outrage, however being cut off before she can finish as House lifts his cane up and points into the center of the boy's chest.

"Easy there kid, I know it's hard not to moved by those breasts. Especially considering how gorgeous they really are, but you and I both know you're way out of your league when it comes to a Milf like her." House comments over to the kid, knowing that his words will surely both embarrass and anger Cuddy a bit, but finding such joy in making her blush while also making her eyes narrow at him with that heat inside of them he simply cannot resist.

A slight frown takes over the kid's face as his pornographic fantasy is crushed.

"Ok dude, then what exactly _do_ you want me to do?" The boy asks, ready to leave again unless the somewhat foreboding man in front of him doesn't soon make his intentions a bit clearer to him.

House gives the kid a crocodile smile, removing his cane from the boy's chest and pointing it over to the spot a few hundred yards away where Wilson and Sam are standing in line at a refreshment stand.

"See that guy over there?" House asked the kid.

"Yeah?" They boy responds.

"Well, we're gonna has some fun with him. And before you ask, I don't mean that in a gay way."

**TBC…. ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok, another crazy day for me...but I managed to get this chapter done. Hope you guys like it ;)**

**Chapter 5**

"Dad?"

Wilson hears a young man say beside him as he walks up to the counter of the refreshment stand after waiting in line a few minutes with Sam until it is their turn to order.

"Dad please, don't ignore me." The kid says a second later, with a hint of hurt to his tone that causes Wilson to turn his head in the direction of the voice, his curiously piqued as to who the teenage boy is talking to.

"How could you?" The boy then accuses as soon as their eyes meet, his jaw clenching as the teenager's brown eyes currently are aiming all their anger at one very confused oncologist.

"I'm sorry?" Wilson starts to say, as Sam, who is standing beside him, is now also looking over at the boy.

"How could you bring that whore here?" The boy suddenly yells, causing the flowing crowd of people in the packed amusement park to stop in their tracks as they look over at the three of them.

"Listen son. I don't know who you think I am …" Wilson starts to say while placing his hands up in front of him. However, once more, the boy interrupts.

"Oh, so that's how you're going to play it now, Dad? You're going to act like I don't even exist?" The kid yells back at him.

From beside Wilson, Sam takes a step towards the skinny teen. "Listen, I'm sorry honey, but I think you have the wrong man." She says to him with a sweet voice while feeling the searing heat on her face that is coming from both teenager's glare as well as from the onlookers around them.

"I wasn't talking to you...…you stupid whore! In fact, haven't you done enough already by banging my Dad and breaking up my family?" The boy replies back to the blonde, making sure that his voice trembles just a bit while using everything inside of him to keep from bursting out laughing…..especially since both of the people standing in front of him now look as if they are about to shit themselves.

Hearing his girlfriend being call a whore for the second time brings out the knight in shining armor in Wilson.

"Listen kid, I've told you, I'm not who you think I am. I'm not you're Dad and I don't appreciate you calling my girlfriend a whore." The oncologist says with a stern voice while reaching out to touch the boy's shoulder.

"Get your hands off of me!" The kid yells back at him, slapping Wilson's hand away as a gasp escapes from one of the stunned people in the crowd surrounding them.

"I was thirteen Dad! Thirteen years old when you decided to break up our family by cheating on Mom with that whore! And now that I finally see you after four years of you not showing up at my birthdays, or to my baseball games or to every other important event in my life. Now...when I finally see you again, you're going to act like you don't even know me?" The boy accuses once more, making sure to let a few tears rim the bottom lids of his eyes.

"Wow, what a rotten son of bitch! Who on earth would do such a horrible thing like that to their own son?" A male voice questions with pure contempt from somewhere within the crowd.

Wilson's eyes immediately snap over to the sea of people, spotting House in an instant as his friend looks back at him with a tiny smirk.

"You jerk!" Wilson yells, clenching his jaw as he takes a step towards the crowd.

"Hey, don't be pissed off at that guy for calling them like he sees them!" Another man yells from the insde crowd while standing in front of House and of course being clueless as to what is really going on.

Within the next breath, Wilson spies Cuddy pushing her way through the sea of people in front of her and heading straight for him.

"Lisa, thank god…." Wilson starts to say, but as she reaches him, Wilson is stunned once more as Cuddy then promptly smacks him across the face.

"You son of a bitch! How could you do this to our son!" Cuddy hisses with a heated breath, her actions, causing some more people in the crowd around them to gasp in shock before she turns and reaches out for the teenage boy beside them both.

"Come on Justin, let's get out of here before _your Dad _has a chance to deny ever being married to me." Cuddy adds bitterly before giving Wilson one last dirty look as she and the boy take off down a small hillside to another area of the amusement park.

######################################################################################################################

Standing next to the Centipede ride, House is still laughing as he counts out fifty bucks and gives it to the tall, skinny teenager in front of him.

"You did good kid. There may be hope for yet in society." He tells the boy.

The teenager smiles back at House while shoving two twenties and a ten into the front pocket of his jeans.

"Actually…." The boy starts to say as his eyes drift over to Cuddy.

"You're girlfriend was pretty amazing as well. I can't believe she hauled off and smacked that guy in the face like it was nothing." The kid confesses, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks as Cuddy's eyes connect with his and she gives him a small smile.

Witnessing the expression of now obviously smitten boy, who is currently melting under the small, but still dazzling smile of Lisa Cuddy, House feels a very peculiar emotion rise up from inside of him as he gives the kid a scowl while taking a step close to the boy.

"Alright kid, you've done your part. Now beat it before I break both of your kneecaps with my cane." House warns, feeling in that moment very proud, and indeed, very luck indeed that _his girlfriend_, who is now in her forties…still has the power to make young, teenage boy's blush.

The kid, gives him a grin, knowing exactly why the tall man in front of him acting this way.

"No problem dude and thanks for the fifty." The boy says with a good natured grin, before turning his gaze towards Cuddy once more.

"I'll see ya later, Lisa. Oh….. and by the way. My offer still stands. If you ever get tired of Mister Viagra here, you can find me at Whitehall's Appliance store on fifth street. It's my Dad store, but I work there and know how to keep a secret." The kid tells her smartly with a grin, giving Cuddy a quick wink before turning and walking off into the crowd.

Watching the boy as he joins the endless stream of people walking towards the next ride, Cuddy let's out a soft laugh.

"You know underneath all that cockiness and bad hair….. I think that boy is a really sweet kid." She comments softly to House, turning her head away from the crowd to look up at him.

House turns in her direction, his right eyebrow arching over at her. his eyes searching her face.

"Don't tell me you're already making plans to dump me and start a torrid affair with the heir apparent to Whitehall's Appliance store?" He jokes to her with a smirk.

Cuddy laughs once more, reaching out and grabbing onto his arms in order to pull him closer to her.

"I would never do such a thing. I like my men to be seasoned in ever way that counts. And besides…if I took on a teenager lover, I'd never have the chance to get back at Wilson in such a brilliant way like we just did." She tells him with a full, amazing smile that is just for him.

Looking down at her, House takes in every feature on her face, noticing the way the rising moon of the approaching night makes her grey eyes sparkle even more so than usual. That same moon, beaming down and finding the hidden facets within her dark, ebony hair. The high contour of her cheekbones, illuminated in a way that beckons memories within him of Greek sculptures depicting goddesses who are delicate and strong in their beauty.

There is no doubt within him that he loves herl Loves her with everything he has within him. Loves her in spite of all the times in the past that he lied to himself and said that he didn't and loves that she loves him in spite of all the screwed up things he has done and will no doubt continue to do from time to time that should make her _not _love him.

She is his contradiction. His misshapen piece that somehow fits within his puzzle. the softness to the hard edges that threaten to surround him at times.

With all of those thoughts currently running through his head, House parts his lips, looking down at Cuddy and feeling the touch of her hands as she holds onto his arms. His mouth finally then speaking the words he's been too afraid to say to her for months now. The words he swore he would never say to another woman again.

"I love you, Lisa." He whispers so softly that it takes a moment for the words to be heard by Cuddy's ears, her face changing in an instant to one that holds an awed expression he knows only he can give to her as he slowly opens up even more of himself to her, revealing the sacred parts of him with great care so that she can see them without the veil of sarcasm he has used to protect them for so long.

Cuddy feels her throat tighten as heart starts to beat faster inside of her chest.

He is everything to her, the man standing before her that still does not know how much she truly loves him and needs him too. The man that does not know how easily his presence takes her to a place she's never been to before with any other man in her life.

Taking in a short breath, she leans in closer to him, needing to kiss him, needing to hold him closer to her so she can be sure this is real, her lips, now a breath away from meeting his own as she whispers back to him.

"I love you too." Cuddy says in a voice so soft and sweet it causes House to close his eyes as he freezing the memory inside of his brain. Keeping it their for an eternity. Keeping the sound of her voice trapped both wihtin his head and his heart along with the scent of her perfume, along with the touch of her hands, along with the barely audible sound of her breathing as her lips are so close to his now.

"You!" Wilson yells just as Cuddy is about to kiss House, his dark brown eyes watching the pair like a hawk as they turn to face him.

"Hi Wilson." House replies back to his friend with a smile, moving his arm around Cuddy's waist to keep her close to him even though the moment between them has been interrupted.

He wants to makes sure that even with an irate Wilson in front them, Lisa doesn't feel that what had just happened between them wasn't real and powerful and scared as it truly was to him. He wants her to know he will treasure it and hopes she can feel it in his touch as he gently caresses her lower back with his thumb, her side pressed against him to in order to feel the beat of his heart.

"You know I'm not surprised that you would pull something like that!" Wilson starts to yell at House again while drawing closer to him.

"But you Lisa…." Wilson goes on to say as his eyes focus in on Cuddy whiel Sam follows behind him, her hands placed firmly on her hip.

Once more, Cuddy walks up to Wilson, holding back her smile as he flinches. The oncologist still obviously feeling the sting of the scene a few moments ago when she had slapped him in front of a crowd of people.

"You told the _entire hospital _I was sleeping with House." Cuddy then reminds the oncologist in no uncertain terms as her cool grey eyes threaten to sear a softball sized hole into the center of his head.

Wilson's never seen Cuddy this angry. In fact, he's pretty sure he's never seen anyone with this kind of controlled, yet unmistakable raging anger.

"So then I guess we're even?" Wilson asks after a brief pause, swallowing hard as he continues to feel the heat in Cuddy's gaze.

"Are you serious James?" Sam questions from beside him with outrage before Cuddy can respond to the question.

"Umm I think he is, homewrecker. That is, unless of course you have something you want to say to, Lisa?" House chimes in with the smile much like that of the Cheshire cat as he watches Sam give him a look that is filled with nothing but pure and utter contempt for him... as beside him, Cuddy crosses her arms, her eyes now moving to Sam and waiting, …just waiting to see what the woman is going to do.

Sam rolls her eyes …..at House of course, her mouth staying shut for now. Her mind telling her now is not the time. Her mind telling her she needs to wait until she's alone with Wilson and then voice her displeasure over both of his so called friends.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Well, here is the latest chapter of Rules of Engagement. I hope you all enjoy it. Also I wanted to let you guys know it may be a little while until I can post the next update because of some RL stuff going on. I have relatives visiting me for at least a week and then some other stuff I have to deal with. So, enjoy this little bit of Huddy and hold tight till the next installment.**

**Chapter 6**

"I can't believe you let House treat you like that _and_ that you're fine with Lisa joining in on his obscene behavior as well." Sam remarked angrily over to Wilson as they sIt beside each other in an corner booth at an all night diner that House has chosen as their dinner place for tonight.

Wilson shrugs his shoulders before placing his right arm behind Sam inside the booth.

"Sam, to be fair, I did tell practically the entire hospital about their relationship when I found out the two of them were dating." Wilson replies to her, truly at peace with the whole incident at the amusement park as it really was a well deserved payback for the gossip he had spread.

Shaking her head, Sam lets out a heated sigh.

"Really James, I just don't understand why you think it's ok for them to treat you the way they do." She mutters under her breath while glancing across the room and to the sign pointing the way to the restrooms where House and Cuddy had just headed off to a few minutes ago.

###################################################################################################

"Are you insane?" Cuddy asks with a surprise whisper as she opens up the door to the bathroom stall, finding House standing directly in front of it.

House smirks down at her before he sniffs the air around them.

"Well…since I don't smell a deuce from me lady, I'd say I'm not that crazy at all." He tells her smartly.

Cuddy wrinkles her nose at him.

"You're disgusting. Now get out of my way before someone comes in here and sees you." She tells him, placing her hands on his chest.

However, much to Cuddy's dismay, House is not budging.

"Not so fast my little minx. You got your chance to get off on the roller coaster, now…..it's my turn." He tells her in a low voice while pushing her back slightly into the stall before closing and locking door to the behind them both.

"House, I am _not _having sex with you in this bathroom." Cuddy whispers up to him adamantly with her jaw set.

Again House smiles.

"Really? Are you that afraid of getting caught? Because you didn't seem too afraid of getting on caught on the roller coaster?" He questions to her, laying down the challenge as he hooks his cane onto the stall door before taking hold of her hips and turning with her inside the small space until his back is now facing the commode with her back now facing the stall door as he closes the lid on the toilet and sits down.

"House, I'm leaving." Cuddy informs him with curt tone, turning her body slightly and getting ready to unlock the stall door when suddenly, a gasp escapes her lips as House's hands take hold of her ass, pulling her body closer to him until the heat of his breath can be felt on her stomach as it sears its way through the light cotton fabric of her dress.

"Not so fast." House warns her in a voice that is filled with a low growl of desire.

Cuddy swallows hard as she looks down at him, his blue eyes looking up at her with that fire in them that has a power to put an ache between her thighs without him even so much as touching her, his lips parting as he speaks to her once more in a low and direct whisper.

"I've had to watch you walking around in the dress for hours now while seeing every red blooded male in that amusement park turn his head to look at you when we passed by them. Knowing that they would have given anything to have a few minutes alone with you just to touch you the way I am now." House starts to say to her as his hands remain on her ass, his fingers now caressing and squeezing the soft round flesh.

He pauses for a moment when he sees her taking in a breath. Realizing that his touch, along with the words he has spoken to her are having just the right effect on her.

"House don't be sillly..." Cuddy starts to softly argue back to him, in truth nearly blushing from the way his is complimenting her right now along with the thrill of his touch.

"Don't paly cute with me, Lisa...you know every man who looked at you today wanted to have sex with you." House tells her in a direct manner as both of his hands now give her ass a firm and possessive squeeze.

Cuddy grips his shoulders as a small gasp escapes her lips, already feeling the warmth of her arousal soaking into the soft lace of her panties becuase of their foreplay of words.

Things shouldn't be like this between them, she tells herself as she remains silent for the moment. The incessant aching. The unbridled urge to have sex with each other as often as they do is something meant for lovers half their age. But….the truth is, they are unlike most couples their age. The intensity and rawness of their attraction to one another, something truly unique in the best kind of way as it sets them apart from most middle aged couples who sooner or later settle into the mundane routines of everyday life.

Taking in a breath Cuddy looks down at House as he remains seated before her, keeping silent for the moment as her hands move on top of his, guiding them down lower onto her body until they reach the hem of her dress.

They don't need to talk right now. Don't need the English language to communicate what her intentions are as House looks into her eyes and starts to gather up the dress she is wearing in his hands. The only noise around them, the steady hum of the fluorescent light above them as he lifts the dress higher, past her thighs and then up to her waist.

Looking up at Cuddy and listening to the sound of her shallow breathing, House feels his mouth go dry. Still amazed that his desire for her is the cause of her being so worked up in so little amount of time. The fact that she's agreed to have sex with him inside this tiny bathroom stall... regardless if they end up getting caught, causing his cock to grow hard in an instant just before he transfers the bunched up material of the dress into Cuddy's hands for her to hold.

He then leans forward, kissing her bare stomach as his hands lower to her panties, his fingers pulling the white lace thong she is wearing down over her toned legs and holding them at her ankles as Cuddy then steps out of them.

With a small smile given to her, House then stuffs the delicate lingerie inside the front pocket of his suit jacket, continuing to look up at Cuddy as his hands reach for the front of his jeans.

He can feel his fingers trembling as he unzips his fly and lifts up. The carnal act that they are getting ready to perform, sending an electric current throughout his entire body as he then pushes his jeans down to his knees, freeing his cock next by just slightly pushing the waistband of his underwear down to his upper thighs.

As House takes in a thready breath of anticipation, Cuddy carefully straddles him inside the small confines of the stall. Her soft hand, wrapping around his erection and giving it a quick stroke before she guides it inside of her.

"Fuck." House groans into the side of her neck as his hands latch frantically onto her hips. The feel of her tight, wet pussy causing his hips to buck up wildly into her from the sensation.

Cuddy muffles a cry, biting down on her bottom lip.

In this position he is already deep inside of her, the feeling of being stretched in such an exquisite way almost more than she can bare at the moment, her eyes closing as she starts to work her hips up and down on him.

From beneath her, House moves the thumb of his right hand over to her clit, the digit rubbing up and down on her little nub with a quick and intense pace.

Cuddy slows her rhythm, her eyes locking onto him as her mouth opens, her head falling into the side of his neck as she whispers to him.

"Greg, I love it when you do that." She moans softly in a voice that is strained from carrying the heavy weight of her pleasure, her body already assuring her she'll cum for the second time today.

"Look at me." House whispers back to her as his hips buck up in hers with that same slow deep rhythm.

Cuddy lifts her head up and finds his gaze once more, her breath shallow and choppy, her heart racing as House leans forward a bit and kisses her, his motion, actually causing him to plunge deeper inside of her just as his thumb flicks over hre clit. The new, deeper penetration catching them both by surprise.

Cuddy feels herself trembling as House moans deeply into her mouth, the warmth of him cumming inside of her pulling her over the edge with him, causing her fingers to dig down into his broad shoulders as she holds onto him for dear life.

The sound of their combined labored breathing suddenly breaks the surface of silence around them a few seconds later as their foreheads connect. The sound of the dripping faucet outside of the stall is now heard by Cuddy as well as she makes her way back into this world. The world where she can now see the harsh reflection of the fluorescent light on the bathroom wall behind them. The world that always ends up disappearing around her for awhile whenever they are in the throws of passion. The deep and powerful connection she has with the man who is now caressing her cheek with his thumb as he looks up at her with a small smile on his face something she has never experienced before and something that she knows she will do everything in her power to keep because of how truly precious it is to her.

##################################################################################################

"I think we shouldn't go out on anymore dates with them." Sam says bluntly to Wilson, looking over at him as he looks back at her and taps his finger lightly on the table.

"Sam, don't you think you're being a bit overdramatic?" Wilson asks her with a serious expression, regretting saying the words to her the instant he sees the expression on her face change.

Sam turns and looks away from him, her eyes set on the passing cars in front of the diner.

"I just don't get how you can forgive them so easily while you've spent years hating me." She replies back to him in a hurt voice while turning to face him again.

"Sam, you know there's a big difference between the love I have for my friends and the love I have for you." Wilson tells her frankly with his brown eyes scanning over every inch of her face.

"And what exactly does that mean, James?" Sam challenges to him with an unconvinced look upon her face.

Wilson let's out a sigh before his face softens.

"It means, that you can hurt me more than either one of them ever could because of how much I love you." He confesses to her as he moves a stray lock of her blonde hair away from her face. "I need you, Sam. You do something to me that no one else every has in my life and that's why when you hurt me...it takes me a lot longer to get over it." Wilson goes on to say to her.

Looking back at him, Sam gives Wilson a soft smile of regret.

"I'm really sorry for hurting you like I did back then." She whispers to him, just before leaning in and kissing him, hoping that what he has said to her is indeed true, hoping that James does indeed love her as much as she loves him while also hoping that soon, the need he has to keep such close ties to his friends, especially House, will start to ease up until it is just the two of them in their own perfect world.

##############################################################################

Walking out of the bathroom as she takes in a breath, Cuddy looks down the narrow hallway leading out to the booths inside the diner, making sure the coast is clear before she turns slightly and reaches back for House's hand, pulling him forward and out of the restroom with her.

Still high off of his orgasm, House presses his crotch into her backside, his head mouth lowering to the side of her neck. "You know, you work extremely well in confided places. I think next time we're going to do it in the MRI machine at the hospital." He whispers down to her with his left hand resting on her hip while his right hand grips firmly onto his cane.

Cuddy turns her head, looking up at him as she rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, dream on." She replies dryly, however unable to resist rubbing her ass against him before taking a few steps down the hall and towards the dining area.

House smirks as he watches Cuddy walking ahead of him. Determined that one day _he_ _will_ get her inside of that MRI machine, even if it has to wait until they both retire from the hospital to do it as the mental picture of the types of images they would create inside the machine leave him chuckling softly as he limps after her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys…I'm back! Just wanted to let you know I'm plan on ending this fic before the new season starts on Sept 20th**** ...but until then, we've still got a few more chapters to go :) Once again thanks for all of your great reviews and support!**

**Chapter 7**

_**Three weeks later….**_

The sensation is odd. The feel of his bare hand on the cool sheets of the flat mattress beside him and the void of the warm body with soft round curves that seemed made for his hands to caress, not here today even though he has stayed over at Cuddy's place for the third time this week.

With the warmth of the morning sun, held high in the sky now felt upon his cheek, House clears his throat.

Something is wrong. Cuddy should be at work by now and by that same token, should have woken him up with her daily morning routine at the crack of dawn, if only to kiss him goodbye before he drifted back to sleep.

Opening up his eyes on the bright and cheery Friday morning, House remains lying on his side, seeing that the bathroom door is shut with a small sliver of light cutting through the bottom of it near the threshold.

As he rolls onto his back, he hears the sound of Cuddy gagging inside the bathroom just before she throws up.

"Shit." He mutters under his breath as in an instant he is on his feet, limping towards the bathroom door, his mind already knowing the cause of her illness.

"You ok?" He asks her softly after opening up the door and finding her kneeling before the commode**.**

Cuddy's hair is a mess. The fine black strands of it that surround her face, stuck fast to her skin because of the fever that is raging inside of her. Her completion pale and her grey eyes red from having thrown up a couple of times already.

"I'll be fine." Cuddy says in an exhausted voice, looking up at House as he takes a step towards her.

"Maybe in a few days you'll be fine, but right now you look like shit." House whispers down to her, the harsh comment wrapped inside the concern in his voice making his words less stinging as he carefully kneels down beside her, shifting some of his weight his left leg as he leans closer towards her.

There has been an very nasty stomach flu going around the hospital for weeks now and like or not, Lisa Cuddy….who many at the hospital believe is invincible has just been defeat by the tiny bug.

"Greg, I said I'll be fine. I just took some Tylenol for my fever and my stomach is actually stating to feel better." Cuddy says to him as he reaches out and checks her forehead with the back of his hand.

"I don't care what big meeting you think you need to go to today, you're staying home." House tells her in a firm voice as his thumb brushes across her cheek.

"Since when did you become my Mother?" Cuddy replies back to him just before she feels the spasm in her stomach that sends her head bowing down to the porcelain god once more.

House lets out a sigh of frustration at her stubbornness as he watches her retch up a tiny amount of yellow looking fluid, his hand rubbing her back gently as he speaks to her once more.

"You now even Moses got sick on occasion. In fact I believe he had a bad case of the chicken pox from those damn chickens on that arc." He then jokes softly to her while getting up and reaching for a washcloth hanging by the sink.

Turning the facet on, he then places the washcloth under the stream of cool water and wrings it out a bit before offering it to Cuddy.

"That's a really lame joke." Cuddy replies back to him as she reaches for the cloth, wiping her forehead with it first before she wipes her mouth.

"Well considering you trying to go to work with the stomach flu is possibly the _lamest _thing I've ever heard of...I felt my joke more than fit the occasion." House counters, reaching for the mouthwash on top of the vanity next with plans to give Cuddy a small capful of the liquid so she can rinse the taste of vomit from her mouth.

But... before he can hand it to her, Cuddy feels the retch in the pit of her stomach once more, her head bowing down towards the commode as she opens her mouth, however, there is nothing left inside of her stomach to void and after a few dry heaves she lifts her head once more and let's out an exhausted sigh.

"I hate being sick." Cuddy mutters with aggravation, looking up at House as he pours a small amount of the mouthwash into a Dixie cup he has pulled from the dispenser to his left, adding a little water to the liquid before turning to offer her the cup.

"Mommy?" Rachel suddenly questions with a shaky voice, her tiny frame standing in the doorway of the bathroom with a worried expression encompassing her small, round face as she fidgets nervously with her front teeth chewing on her bottom lip.

"Oh baby, it's ok. Mommy's ok …she's just has a little tummy ache that's all.." Cuddy tells the child reassuringly, smiling at her little girl even though she is currently sick as a dog.

"Mommy, why are you making those sounds?" Rachel questions, her small voice still trembling as she starts to walk towards her mother with her cherub face still etched with worry

"Better stay back Munchkin because right now your Mommy is a full blown germ factory." House warns as he guides the child over to him instead of allowing her to reach Cuddy.

Rachel immediately looks up at him with a panicked expression. "No, I want my Mommy! Her's hurt!" The little girl protests with tears already rimming her eyes.

House is stunned for a moment by the child's reaction, a part of him feeling his has added to her panic unecessarly by his choice of words.

"Rachel…it's ok…I didn't mean to…." He starts to say the hurt he sees on her face suddenly bringing out something within him that makes his throat tighten.

"Rachel sweetie it's ok. I'm going to be fine, Mommy just needs to get some rest and soon I'll be all better." Cuddy assures her daughter, touching her gently on the shoulder before slowly starting to get back to her feet.

Rachel stares at her intently for a moment, watching as her Mother moves carefully over to the other side of the double vanity, taking a small sip of mouthwash from the cup House has set there.

The child then looks up at House once more with a the panic still apparent on her face.. "House, Mommy really gonna be ok?" She asks him with that same small, frighten voice.

Looking into Rachel's blue eyes, House feels for the firt time the ultimate power his has in the child's life. Knowing now without a shadow of a doubt the girl looks to him as a child would to their Father. Believing all that he tells her, needed him to reassure her things are going to be ok just as much as she needs Cuddy to do the same thing for her...and... he's never been more afraid in his life.

"Your Mommy is going to be ok Rachel, we just have to make sure she gets some rest and gets plenty to drink." He finds himself saying no more than a second later, his mind seemingly on auto pilot as he spells things out for the toddler on a very basic level so she can understand the situation and hopefully calm down.

After listening to his words, Rachel moves her big blue eyes over to her Mother.

"Um Mommy, I think you needs to get back to bed so you can getting better." The girl then says with her eyes moving back up to House, searching for his approval of her suggestion.

House breathes a small, internal sigh of relief. He can handle going along with Rachel's plan to help her Mommy as it temporarily diverts him from the deeper thoughts now brewing inside of his mind.

"Sounds like a good first step to me kid." He answers to the toddler before turning to face Cuddy as she wipes her mouth with the towel hanging on the rack next to her.

"Think you're done with the puking for now?" House questions to her just to be sure.

Cuddy nods, turning towards him and a bit surprised when House wraps his arm around her waist in order to help her back to bed.

"Hey, I'm a germ factory remember?" She whispers to him even though she's already leaning her body into his tall frame.

"Germs know better then to mess with me." House mutters back to her as his fingers curl around her hip.

################################################################################################################################

Lying on her side and with her stomach feeling a little queasy, Cuddy listens to the soft, steady hum of the ceiling fan above her as the cool breeze it is producing caresses her the left side of her face. A few mintues ago House and Rachel had left her here as they went downstairs in search of some things _to help her gettin better_ as Rachel had so sweetly put it. Now, as she listens the sounds of House and Rachel in the hallway as they approach the master bedroom once more she can't help but smile at how amazing House is being with Rachel and how well he's rebounded from the earlier incident in the bathroom when she seen the panic race across his face.

"Hi Mommy, we're back. I hope your tummy's feeling better." Rachel whispers, entering into the room and carrying with her a bottle of water in one hand with a stuffed teddy bear tucked under her other arm.

"Hi sweetie." Cuddy replies back to her with a smile, wishing her little girl could climb in bed and snuggle against her just so she could take in the scent of her that would surely help to wash away the still somewhat nauseous feeling inside of her stomach.

"Mommy, we brought you some things to help you get all better!" Rachel goes on to tell her, placing the bottle of water on the nightstand as House in turn places a small cooler beside the bed as well.

"There's some more water along with a couple of bottles of Gatorade in here for later." House informs her as his eyes scan over Cuddy's still very pale face.

"Thank you both for taking such good care of me." Cuddy replies with a soft tone, smiling over at Rachel first before her eyes rise up to meet House's gaze.

"Just remember, you're going to owe me big time for being your own personal nurse." House whispers back to her with a suggestive grin.

Even though she feels like death warmed over, Cuddy can't help but laugh at the comment.

"Mommy, I also brought Teddy to keep you company when you getting resting." Rachel chimes in as she hands the stuffed animal over to her mother.

"_Ooooh_...thank you so much sweetie." Cuddy coos to her daughter with a small smile.

"I promise I'll take good very care of him." She adds, knowing how much her daughter simply adores the stuffed teddy bear.

"Ok Rugrat, time for us to get out of here so your Mommy can get some rest." House says from above them both.

"Ok." Rachel agrees in a somewhat sad tone. "Mommy I wish I could give you a kiss." The little girl adds with a frown.

Again Cuddy smiles, "You can always blow me kiss." She suggests to her daughter.

"Ok!" Rachel agrees happily before doing just that and being thrilled beyond belief as Cuddy not only catches her kiss but then goes onto share it with Teddy by sending the kiss to his mouth first before reaching her hand up to her own lips.

"You know there's something I'd like to send your way but I think I'll wait until you're better so you can receive the full benefit." House mummbles under his breath to Cuddy, the smirk on his face cut short as Rachel reaches for his hand once more and feels the strange pull she has on his heart.

"Come on House, you and me is going watch Little Mermaid." Rachel announces with a happy tone as she starts to pull him towards the door.

"Have fun you two." Cuddy says to them both with a smile, catching the scowl House is sending her way while she reaches for the water bottle beside her, not being deterred in the least by his grumpy demeanor considering how sweet it is to see Rachel pulling him out of the room with nothing but pure happiness written all over her face.

#####################################################################################################################

A few hours later, after finishing a bottle of water and keeping the liquid down, Cuddy is abrubtly waken from her sleep by a stabbing pain in her lower abdomen.

The second wave of the stomach flu is now hitting her hard and making it's presence know as she sits up in the bed, clutching her belly before quickly making her way to the bathroom.

With a groan she finds herself now sitting on the commode with her panties down at her ankles and dealing with a nasty case of diarrhea.

She hasn't eaten since yesterday which of course means that most of what's coming out of her on the other end is simply a mixture of watery loose stool.

It's with those thoughts running through her mind that Cuddy is terrified when she hears the sound of House's voice as he enters into the master bedroom.

"Hey, I just put Rachel down for nap…" He starts to say before pausing when he sees she is not longer sleeping in her bed.

"Oh crap, hey Lisa... do you have a case of the pukes again?" House questions as he makes his way to the closed door of the bathroom.

"House, just stay out ok?" Cuddy tells him while leaning forward and locking the door beside her.

House rattles the knob, turning his head to one side. "Hey germ factory, quit acting like martyr. The least I can do is hold your hair back while you hurl chunks." He jokes to her with a smirk.

Cuddy closes her eyes, shaking her head as she prays for the ribbon of pain currently shooting across her lower abdomen to cease.

"I'm not throwing up." She then informs him in a sharp tone, knowing that very soon he's going to figure out what she's really doing inside the bathroom.

From outside the door House pauses for a minute before a smile stretches across he face.

Of course this shouldn't be funny at all and he should be more sensitive…but….

"Oh, so you've got a serious case of the trots now?" He asks her with a soft laugh while leaning against the door.

"House, just go away." Cuddy tells him with a groan, opening her eyes once more while taking a deep breath and praying that there is nothing left inside of her intestines that needs to be released.

Still smiling on the other side of the door, House rattles the knob once more.

"Come on Lisa, let me in ….I'll have you know I did read the book _Everybody Poops _so I am more then prepared for anything I might see." He teases some more, unable to resist making the most of the embarrassing the situation.

"House, quit being an ass and please just leave me-" Cuddy starts to say when her sentence is cut short by the ringing of her cell phone lying on nightstand beside her bed.

"Want me to get that?" House asks her with a grin still plaster on his face however, deciding to give her a chance at a reprieve to show he does have at least a little sympathy for her current situation.

Cuddy lets out a sigh of relief, thankful for the interruption. "You don't have to answer it, just check the caller ID to see if it's someone from the hospital." She instructs him, thankful once more that the pain in her lower belly has susddenly subsided for now.

Limping over to the phone House lets out a small chuckle, still thoroughly amused with the situation as he picks up the cell phone.

"Who's Elizabeth Turner?" He yells over towards the bathroom door after veiwing the name on the screen.

There's a pause as he hears the sound of the commode flushing which is then flowed by the sound of the facet being turned on inside the bathroom.

"It's not important, I call her back in a little bit." Cuddy answers back him while washing her hands before drying them quickly.

"Hello?" House says as he answers the phone anyway, curious as to who the caller is and of course taking the initiative to find out before Cuddy can come out of the bathroom and stop him.

"Hello? Is Lisa there?" A woman's voice asks him.

House turns just in time to see Cuddy open the bathroom door, a look of disapproval on her face as she starts to make her way over to him.

"Actually Lisa is feeling a little bit under the weather today. Is there anything I can help you with?" House asks with a smile, seeing an irritated expression rise up on Cuddy face as she stands in front him.

Obviously this call is nothing too serious or Cuddy would have pulled the phone away from him.

"Oh, well I'm sorry to here that. Actually I was calling just to confirm that Rachel will be coming to my daughter Paige's birthday party this evening." The woman informs him.

Funny, Cuddy never mentioned this party to him. Which means there's a reason why she chose no to tell him.

With his eyes still focused on his girlfriend, House opens his mouth and speaks once more.

"Well, I don't think Lisa will be up to taking Rachel tonight, but I don't see why I can't bring her to the party." He tells the woman, watching as Cuddy's eyes grow wide with shock.

"Oh, well ….that's great and umm if you don't mind me asking who exactly are you?" The woman questions.

House smiles as Cuddy remains stunned before him.

"Oh, well ...I guess that would make things easier." He jokes before continuing. "Actually I'm surprised Lisa hasn't told you about me. You see my name is Greg House and I'm the newest boy toy Lisa's sunk her claws into because of my sexual prowess along wiht my enourmous penis." He answers before abruptly hanging up the phone on the woman.

Cuddy looks up at House, speechless for a moment as it is obvious to her that her being sick does not quell his appetite for being an ass at times.

"Why on earth would you say something like that to one of my friends?" She then asks him accusingly.

"First off, _Liz_ is not one of your friends. She's obviously a mother of a little girl who Rachel probably likes to play with and that you probably met in the park down the street from your house one day. And second, why didn't good old Liz know about us?" House counters with that insatiable knack he has for putting the pieces to find the shiny prize underneath it.

Cuddy holds their gaze for a moment before letting out a sigh and moving past him so she can lie back down in the bed again.

Right now, she's physically drained, however, she does owe him an explanation.

"Lucas used to take Rachel to the park. He's that one who first met Elizabeth and her daughter Paige. When Elizabeth told me about Paige's birthday party and invited Rachel I thought it would be a good way to keep the kids friendship going after I broke things off with Lucas." Cuddy explains to him.

House looks at her for a moment before speaking.

"That still doesn't explain why you never mentioned anything to me about the party and why you didn't tell Elizabeth about your new main squeeze." He responds, still digging for an answer.

Cuddy moves her gaze away from him for the moment, looking down at her hands before tilting her head up as she speaks.

"I know this is going to sound stupid to you but…I didn't want Elizabeth to think I was one of those woman who have a revolving door when it comes to the men in her life."

"So what time is the party tonight?" House asks her, catching her off guard once more.

"House, you don't have to take Rachel. I was going to call Marina once I felt a little better to see if she could take her to the party tonight." Cuddy explains as she continues to look up at him

"I said I'll take her, unless of course you think I can't fill the argyle socks that Lucas left behind." House informs her frankly as his eyes stay fixed upon her.

"Are you sure you really want to do this? You know you don't have to prove anything to me when it comes to Rachel." Cuddy says to him with a serious tone after his mention of Lucas.

"I know I don't have to prove anything to you." House starts to say with a slight irritation to his voice before he pauses for a moment.

"But no kid should have to go to a birthday party with their Nanny." He finishes, his voice a bit softer then it had been a few seconds ago as the ghosts of his own past come back to haunt him.

Looking at him now, Cuddy can see past the words House has just spoken to her and into the deeper meaning within them. Seeing in that moment further into the mind of Gregory House, a one time military brat who no doubt felt the pain of a Father that was too busy with his military career to be bothered with going to birthday parties, or little league games or to any of the other important events in a child's life where they seek the comfort in knowing someone is watching over them, that someone is there exclusively just for them, laughing along with them as they enjoy the memories of those perfect days of youth, yelling their name with pride and cheering them on when the hit that homerun or play the solo they've been working on for weeks at their music recital.

"The party is at six." Cuddy replies back to him simply as her eyes move over the weather lines of his face, her heart beating with an odd type of ache at how much the lines of time tell of the complex and sometimes troubled man who owns them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Ok Huddies, time for another chapter. Hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter 8**

"Ok Mommy, I'm ready go!" Rachel announces as she walks back into the master bedroom a few hours later, dressed in a purple and white print cotton dress, the hem falling just above her knees, her tiny feet adored with white sandals.

On the back of Rachel's head, her dark hair has been pulled back into a ponytail with a tiny ringlet escaping from it on the left side. The purple bow, placed there by Marina who had arrived a half hour or so ago to watch after Cuddy as House and Rachel head out to the party.

"You look so pretty." Cuddy whispers, as she sits up in the bed a bit, smiling from ear to ear as Rachel gives her a brilliant smile in return.

"I can be a dancer in this dress Mommy!" Rachel responds, twirling around a few times as she giggles with delight.

"Ok kid, the party's going to start soon so say goodbye to Mommy and get your butt in gear." House says as he enters into the master bedroom, dressed of course in a t-shirt and jeans, his eyes moving swiftly over to Cuddy.

"Ok, House, but first I need get my purse!" Rachel answers happily, running past him as she heads for her room.

House shakes his head.

"Already with the purses?" He questions to Cuddy as he draws closer to the bed.

"Hey, a girl is lost in this world without her purse." Cuddy replies with a soft laugh.

"Your color looks a lot better." He then comments down to her softly as his eyes lock onto hers.

"I feel a lot better then a did this morning." Cuddy responds to him with tired smile.

"Are you hungry?" He asks her.

"A little." Cuddy answers with a shrug.

"I'll ask Marina to bring up something for you on our way out." House tells her, leaning in and caressing her cheek briefly with his thumb in that way that is so very revealing of all the love he has for her that he sees the recognition of the emotion filling the cool slate grey of her eyes.

"You really are a good man." Cuddy whispers back to him, caught up in the moment they are sharing and needing for him to know the truth in her heart as she reaches out, taking his hand in her own.

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Stepping out into the parking lot of the _Destiny's Princess Palace …._ House was to say the least, anything but impressed with the location of the birthday party he will be attending with Rachel this evening.

The name of the place of course gave the illusion that behind those doors was a strip club, or at the very least a sex toy shop...but no.

"Look House, it's Bobo and Princess Destiny and Prince Derek!" Rachel squeals with delight from below him while pointing to the gigantic figurines of a Bobo the mouse, Destiny, the voluptuous and beautiful dark haired princess and Derek the cheesy looking chiseled jaw prince, all of whom are frozen in place and waving at them from outside the children's themed restaurant.

"Yep, looks like the gangs all here." House mutters as he let's out a sigh.

Maybe he shouldn't have offered to take Rachel here. In fact right now instead of being stuck here, he could be sitting on the couch at Cuddy's place with a cold beer in his hand and watching wrestling on the TV. Well, at least he can get a good look at Princess Destiny's nice rack before he enters through the gates of _squealing toddler hell ..._even if the impressive boobs of the statue are made of plastic.

"I think Princess Destiny looks like Mommy." Rachel comments up to him while her eyes move over the long the statue as she and House stop just in front of the female figurine who is situated closes to the front door of the toddler themed restaurant.

House tilts his head to the side as he checks out the breasts of the princess a little more closely.

"You know kid, now that you mention it, Princess Destiny does kinda look like you're Mommy." He remarks with a devilish grin, knowing that once he steps inside of this place his fun will most assuredly be over.

##################################################################################################################

"Here Lisa, hopefully you can keep this down." Marina says with a sympathetic smile, placing a serving tray in front of Cuddy as she sits up in the bed.

"Thank you so much for coming over, Marina." Cuddy replies while looking down at the food on the tray.

There is a small bowl of delicious smelling chicken soup, some dry toast and small glass of apple juice. Nothing too heavy for her stomach and hopefully something she can keep from vomiting back up.

"Don't thank me Lisa, it's seems Greg was very busy making homemade chicken soup for you with Rachel before I came over." Marina informs her with a slight amusement to her tone.

"Really?" Cuddy asks with disbelief.

Her comment causes Marina to let out a soft laugh.

"Oh come on Lisa, it's obvious Greg House is head or heels in love with you. In fact, I don't know of many men who would do something like that for their significant other." The woman says with a grin.

Cuddy feels a blush rise to her cheeks.

"Marina, it's really not that big of a deal. You know how much Greg likes to cook." She says dismissively, not wanting to jinx anything by being too comfortable in the happiness she has found.

Again Cuddy's nanny laughs.

"Well, Greg may like to cook, but there's a big difference between cooking for your girlfriend in the hopes of getting lucky later on and cooking for your sick girlfriend while you let her two and half year old daughter help you put the noodles in the soup you've spent hours making." Marina points out with a smirk.

"Ok, you win." Cuddy concedes before reaching for the spoon on her tray as she can't help but smile.

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Walking into the fairy tale themed restaurant, embellished with enough pink and purple to make him puke, House is two seconds away from doing an about face and heading to the local pizza shop down the road for dinner.

The large, open floor plan of the restaurant leaves him feeling as if he's been plopped into the center of the cheesiest place on earth. The tall, gray faux cement boulders that form the castle walls on the east side of the restaurant are stacked on top of each other and are adored with hideous pink and purple drapes that stretch from the floor to the ceiling, framing the long, painted windows the look out into a fake courtyard. To the left is an even cheesier forest with green and brown carpeting meant to mimic grass and a dirt path with tall pine trees made out of even more putrid plastica and lining the brown shitty path. Inside the forest are a few small slides, a bouncy ball house with a clear tube the kids can crawl up into to and a dozen or so large, thick plastic recreations of birds, mice and rabbits attached to the floor by large thick springs and surrounded by a thick pink, foam floor that the kids can ride on. Currently throughout the fake forest there are employees dressed up in the costumes of Bobo, Princess Destiny and Prince Derek walking around and talking to the squealing little girls. Near the front of the restaurant is a small stage where….. no doubt they'll be treated to some awful sort of show by the sweaty employees in costume. Overhead, the theme music to the TV cartoon _Princess Desitny_ is playing, a song that House knows all too well because of the many times Rachel has made him watch the show with her.

"Look House, it's Princess Destiny for real!" Rachel whispers up to him with an excited awe to her tone. Pointing over to the forest with her the finger of her right hand while her left hand squeezes his hand a little tighter.

"So it is." House replies with a slight tone of defeat in his voice, knowing that any plans of escape are futile now, knowing that like it or not…..he's stuck here with Rachel because leaving now would be unthinkable.

Unthinkable because the little girl with the amazing angelic face, complete with big blue eyes and the smalls dimples on her cheeks is currently grinning at him from ear to ear as she swings their hands together happily. The tiny little bug of a person who should repulse him, who he should be able to ignore or merely tolerate…..now having him complexly wrapped around her little finger.

_He had a rule about this dammit._

A rule about not getting to attached to her. About not becoming one of those men who turn into idiots around kids.

So much for his rule. But….at least he doesn't go so far as to be giddy moron about seeing the princess like some Father's would.

Yes, at least he has that….and ….

He's mind grinds to a halt in an instant, making sure he realizes what he has just thought.

Making sure he plays very close attention to the word _Father _as it is now stuck in the center of his brain.

He didn't mean it like that. Not at all. He meant like _some men_. He's not Father material. He's not even sure he can be boyfriend material for the long haul, any yet…

And yet every time he's around Rachel and she lights up like this, he can help but want to be near her. Something about her innocence, something about the pure and untainted joy she feels in moments like this is something he can't seem to get enough of. The way the little girls sees the world, free from all the tarnish and dirt, bringing out a small part of him that had lost it's faith in the world a long, long time ago. That same part of him that bends to the feel of Cuddy's touch and the warmth in her smile. That same part, udeniably drawn to Rachel in a very powerful way that is as frightening as it is soothing.

"Greg House?"

A female voice asks, interrupting House's thoughts for the moment as turns to see who is speaking to him while feeling Rachel's small hand squeezing his hand once more. The light within her so strong and sweet and achingly pure.


	9. Chapter 9

**Here you go guys. Busy weekend ahead but managed to get this next chapter done. Hope you like it and I'm really happy to read how much you guys are loving the House/Rachel stuff )**

**Chapter 9**

The woman House is looking at is rail thin and only a few inches shorter than he is. Her posturing reminding him somewhat of a crane. Long, sleek and very odd looking indeed. Her body having none of the curves that would prove to him she is indeed one of the fairer sex. Her blonde hair, pulled back into a tight bun. So tight in fact that the skin of her temples is stretching uncomfortably from the strain.

Her pointed nose only adds to the woman's harsh, edgy appearance. Her piercing green eyes, much like that of a cat. Always searching. Always looking for something.

He guessed she's about forty, although she could be younger and prematurely aged by both her binding hairstyle and dull schoolmarm outfit consisting of a starched pressed white blouse, paired with a pair of skinny black dress pants that contribute even more to her bird like quality.

"You _are _Greg right?" The woman questions with an arched eyebrow when House does not answer her immediately.

In an instant the voice suddenly rings a bell, his brain now connecting the dots that had been left with the spaces between them while he studied the woman before him.

"Liz!" He says to her with a broad smile as if the two of them are old friends, as if he didn't just brag to her a few hours about the tremendous size of his penis over the phone.

"I prefer to be called Elizabeth." The woman tells him bluntly.

House notices they way she his clenching her jaw and wonders just how big the bug is that is obviously stuck up her ass.

"Hi Lizbeth!" Rachel then says happily from below them both with a sweet smile.

"Hi Rachel! I'm so happy you could come to Paige's party!" Elizabeth replies sweetly, the thermostat within her turning for cold to warm as she squats down towards the toddler with a smile stretched across her face that is indeed truly genuine.

Watching as the woman continues to talk to Rachel, House is stunned. This creature before him who looks like some bizarre predatory bird is now interacting with Rachel like she is in fact a graceful, delicate swan.

"Rachel!" A small blonde headed girl yells a second later from across the room as she then rushes up beside the woman.

"Happy Birthday Paige!" Rachel yells back to the little girl just before the two toddlers hug each other tightly.

"Hey Rachel! You made it!" A man then says who is trailing after the girl.

The man is about the same height as the woman standing beside House. His build slim as well, his hair, chestnut brown. The man's face has soft but pleasing features, most notable his warm hazel eyes. Which are a dead on mach for the little girl who is currently hugging Rachel.

"Hi Michael!" Rachel yells as she and Paige release each other from their hug.

"Hey cutie pie." Michael replies back to her with a smile while reaching out to Rachel and gently touching the tip of her button nose with his index finger.

"Well, looks like I'm the odd man out." House comments, feeling as if he has somehow blended into the faux gray castle wall behind him made out of Styrofoam.

His comment causes Elizabeth to stand upright once more, her intense green eyes focusing in on him as she speaks.

"Greg, this is my husband Michael and as you have already probably guessed, this is our daughter Paige." Elizabeth says flatly, as she places a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Nice to meet you Greg." Michael responds with a smile as he offers his hand to the man standing before him while Paige smiles up at him shyly, scooting behind her Daddy's left leg a bit.

"Nice to meet you too Mikey." House says just for fun with a smirk.

"His name is _Michael_." Elizabeth whispers sternly under her breath so the kids will not hear.

House tilts his head slightly. No way he's backing down from this woman's rudeness as well as the blatantly obvious fact that _Liz _already hates him.

"Boy! I guess you must have really loved good old Lucas Douglas." He says to the woman in a low tone watching has her bird like face tenses once more.

"Lizbeth, my Mommy don't see Lucas anymore cuz she loves House now." Rachel informs the woman from below them. Of course with the all the innocence and honestly of a child that leaves two of the three adults above her trapped in an a very awkward moment.

"From the mouths of babes." House then says proudly as he affectionately rubs the top of Rachel's head, the little girl giggling from the contact while he is of course in his element right now and cool as a cucumber.

"Michael, would you mind taking Rachel and Paige over to the forest area so they can get their picture taken with Princess Destiny?" Elizabeth asks with a sweet tone, even though inside she is fuming.

"Sure honey." Michael answers as an easy smile stretches across his mouth.

"We can get pictures with Princess Destiny?" Rachel asks with excitement after hearing the conversation, directing her gaze up to Elizabeth.

"You sure can sweetheart." The woman answers to her with a smile while her distain for the man beside her continues to grow.

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"You know, regardless of whether I liked Lucas Douglas, telling me about the size of your penis while bragging about being Lisa's new boy toy has to say the least, giving me a very strong impression of the type of man you are." Elizabeth tells House as soon as the kids are far enough so as not to hear them.

House studies her quietly for a moment, waiting until he sees her jaw flex. She may be a hard as nails bitch…but she's also very nervous and tense around him at the moment.

"Did someone do something to you when you were a child?" He asks her straight out as the pieces of the puzzle that is Elizabeth Turner start to fall into place inside of his mind.

"What on earth are you talking about?" The woman asks him with a confused expression, even though the fear in her eyes are giving her away.

"You know what I'm talking about. Something did something to you that made you this way. I just don't know if was Mommy or Daddy or maybe one of those creepy Uncles we all have." He says to her, seeing even more clearly now that although Liz has tried very hard to keep both a physical and emotional wall around her with sharp edges and dangerous paths that one is not meant to tread. Her weakness or perhaps her saving grace is children, her stern demeanor, melting the instant Rachel and Paige were around her.

"I …I don't know what you're talking about." Elizabeth argues as she takes a step back from him.

It's obvious to House know that he's pretty much hit the nail on the head. Her strong and powerful demeanor having sent his critical thinking skills into overdrive. His eyes now moving over to the forest area where Michael is holding up his digital camera as Rachel and Paige pose together with Princess Destiny.

"Listen." He begins to say to her as his eyes meet her once more, making sure to keep his distance from her because the last thing he wants to do is cause this woman to freak out at her kid's party.

"I know it's none of my business about what happened to you, but if you keep acting the way you in order to block out your past….. you're going to end up cracking up sooner or later." House informs her frankly.

However he's not sure if any of his words have gotten through to her now, as Liz stares back at him blankly with those intense green eyes.

"I need to go and check on Paige's birthday cake." She responds back to him just before turning and leaving as if they had just had a conversation about the weather.

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It is an hour later and after the kids have devoured the birthday cake and are now laughing and playing inside the restaurant that House watches Rachel climb out of the ball pit and rush towards him where he is sitting in the corner booth by himself and away from the crowd of people.

The look upon the child's face is one of sheer terror which causes him to get up from his seated position just as Rachel reaches him.

"What's wrong?" House asks her as he can't help but notice the way his heart is thumping inside of his chest at the sight of her.

"I…" Rachel starts so say in a fragile voice as the tears start to fill her eyes.

House kneels down before her immediately, ignoring the pain that shoots up his thigh.

"Rachel, are you hurt?" He questions to her with a soft voice of concern as his eyes start to scan over her body.

The little girl shakes her head no.

"I…" She starts to say once more as a single tear runs down her cheek.

"Rachel, you need to tell my what's wrong…." House starts to say to her again before his words are cut short when notices the small trickle of urine that is running down her right leg.

The instant the little girl sees the recognition in his eyes she lets out a soft, mournful whimper.

"I was playing and I didn't know I had to potty." She mumbles with anguish and utter embarrassment as her angelic face wrinkles and her bottom lip begins to quiver.

"Shh..hey it's ok, Rachel." House whispers to her as he reaches up to the table, snagging a napkin from it before quickly wiping her leg while his eyes scan the room.

Thankfully, all of the parents as well as their children are too caught up in the celebration to notice them.

"House, I'm fraid all these kids are gonna know I peed my pants." Rachel then whispers to him in a mournful tone before resting her forehead on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his neck.

House is frozen for a moment as he listens to Rachel crying softly into the crook of his neck, the feel of her tears on his skin causing him to swallow hard as the realization of how devastating this is for her, how traumatizing it is for her to think about the other kids laughing at her or making fun of her, even at this young age causing a sharp, piercing ache inside the center of his heart.

"Listen to me, Rachel." House starts to say as he gently tilts her chin up so he can look at her.

"No one is going to know what happen. Ok? Just hold onto my hand and do exactly what I say and I'll get you out of here." He assures her, tucking the napkin into the front pocket of his jeans as he looks behind her to see if the urine has soaked into her dress.

Thankfully the fabric of her dress is still dry.

"House I'm scared." Rachel confesses to him as the feel of her wet underwear sticking to her skin is causing her small tummy twist into knots.

"Rachel, I know you're afraid, but we have to get you out to the car where your Mommy has the bag of extra clothes in the back seat so we can change you." House reminds her as his eyes stay locked on hers, his voice soft and reassuring as he takes hold of her hand and squeezes it.

He knows this will instantly start to comfort Rachel as the fact that her well organized Mommy never leaves home or…for that matter, never let's her daughter leave home with anyone else without giving them a canvas bag stuffed with wipes, extra shoes, small finger snacks for her toddler and of course that precious change of clothes.

Hell, Cuddy's even managed to cram a book and a stuffed animal into that bag…just in case, as the Dean of Medicine is sure to cover all of her basis …especially when it come so th er daughter.

"Ok…I be a big girl." Rachel whispers back to him with a nod after hearing him speak of the bag.

"Good." House replies as he stands, still holding onto her hand.

"Ok now we're going to start walking over there. Just keep walking like this…..don't run and stay with me." He tells her as they start to make their towards kitchen area of the restaurant, knowing there will be another exit to be found in there that will keep them from walking by all of the party goers.

"Ok." Rachel responds as she wipes a tear from her face and leans into him a bit.

From across the room, Elizabeth Turner sees House heading to the kitchen with Rachel, a small ancient alarm suddenly coming to life once more as she feet are set into motion.

_Don't run, just walk normal. Just follow them and don't draw attention to yourself, _her mind whispers to her while inside of her chest, her heart is fluttering out of control like bird caught within the raging winds of a storm.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi everyone and thanks once again for the great reviews! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**Chapter 10**

"You know kid, you're very lucky your Mommy is more prepared then an army general." House comments down to Rachel as she is standing inside the car, behind the drives seat.

"I know. Mommy's smart." Rachel responds with a grin, her small hands now resting on House's shoulders as he is squatted down before her from the outside of the car.

The way House's body is positioned assures that none of the cars passing by them on the freeway will be able to see Rachel, his large frame also blocking the view of her from anyone coming and going from the restaurant...thus assuring the little girl some privacy.

"Ok lift this leg up, Rachel." House then prompts to her, gently tapping her right leg with his index finger after pulling her wet underwear down to her ankles.

"K." Rachel says with a nod as she looks down at her feet to help keep her balance.

"Good, now lift this one." House tells the child a moment later referring to her left leg as behind him, he suddenly hears the steady footsteps of a person who seems hell bent on getting to where the are going.

As Elizabeth Turner makes her way over to the parked Acura in the handicapped space she takes in a shaky and unsteady breath.

She had to stop twice on her way out here as the battle between the logical side of her brain telling her that she was jumping to conclusions and the other part of her brain, still haunted by the memories of her past did battle with one another.

It's a funny thing, how fear can take hold of a person in an instant... and currently, fear now had it's deathgrip on one Elizabeth Turner, squeezing tighter with every step she takes.

"What…..what are you doing to her?" Elizabeth hears herself saying in a voice that is piercing and jagged with fear, her heart about to burst out from inside of her chest as she watches House turn his head just slightly to look at her while shielding Rachel from her view.

"Don't you have a birthday party to get back to?" He asks her with a vein of annoyance in his voice.

It's the way he has just spoken to her that sets of a the loud alarm inside of her head. The view of his cane, lying on the ground beside the car that makes a chill run her back and causes Elizabeth to take in a sharp breath as she trembles.

Before she knows it she's taken the last remaining steps towards House with her hand latching fast onto his arm, her fingernails digging into the bare skin that is not covered by the t-shrit he is wearing.

"No, you leave her alone!" Elizabeth hears herself shouting after she sees House with Rachel's underwear in his hands, her voice now sharpen with a shrill tone of panic.

"Let go of me!" House warns as he feels her nails biting into his skin as she tries to pull him away from Rachel. His eyes blazing up at her with anger as he struggles to keep from landing on his ass because of the missing thigh muscle in his right leg.

_"Lizbeth stop! You're hurting him_!" Rachel cries out with a high pitched squeal, quickly wrapping her small arms around House's neck and pulled him as close to her with every ounce of strength her tiny body can muster. The small child scared to death right now by the way Paige's Mommy is acting.

It's the sound of Rachel's voice that immediately causes Elizabeth to release her grip on House, her piercing green eyes looking down at the little girl who is terrified of her right now.

"Elizabeth….look at me." House says in calm and steady voice in order to garnish the woman's attention and needing to gain control of the situation as quickly as possible.

Holding his breath, he watches as Elizabeth turns her eyes towards him, her face pale and haunted in appearance.

"Listen to me Elizabeth…..Rachel had an accident and I'm changing he. I'm not hurting her." He then whispers evenly up to her now that her eyes are focused on him even if the woman's breathing is still erratic and heavy at the moment.

"Lizbeth….House not hurting me." Rachel assures her as well, following House's lead as even in her young mind she realizes that Paige's Mommy is just as afraid and scared as she had been a few minutes ago.

"I…I'm so sorry. Rachel I ….I didn't mean to. I thought…I though House….." Elizabeth starts to say as her eyes look down at Rachel first before over to where House is squatted beside her.

The knuckles of his left hand are white from the grip he has on the door frame in order to keep from falling over as fine beads of sweat dot his brow.

"Just breath, Elizabeth and stay still while I finish up with, Rachel." House tells her, his voice remaining calm even though his thigh is gripped with a throbbing white hot pain.

"It's ok Lizabeth." Rachel assures the woman, reaching out and taking the woman's hand in her own, once more following House's lead.

Swallowing hard, Elizabeth fights the tears trying to fall from her eyes, feeling horrible about what she done to Rachel, feeling horrible about what she's done to them both.

"Oh Rachel honey, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Elizabeth apologizes, as below her House is reaching inside of a large canvas bag, pulling out a pair of clean underwear for Rachel along with a small pack of wipes.

"Here kid, clean yourself off a bit before we get these new undies on you." House says to the child, handing her a couple of wipes while speaking to Rachel in a soft, casual tone that holds with it the power to push aside the ugliness of a few moments ago.

Rachel complies, wiping herself with one hand while her other hand continues to hold onto Elizabeth's hand.

It only a few seconds longer before Rachel has a pair of clean, dry underwear on as the wet underwear, along with the used wipes have been placed into a small plastic bag that Cuddy had also stashed inside of the larger canvas bag.

"Ok rugrat, out you go." House then says, giving Rachel a helping hand out of the car as he rises a bit slower to his feet than normal.

The time he has taken to change Rachel seems to have been just what Elizabeth had needed in order to calm herself down as she knows looks over at him with deep regret etched into the fine lines on her face.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry." Elizabeth whispers to him, her eyes filled with shame, her heart heavy from what she had put the poor man through.

"Don't be sorry. Just promise me you'll see someone about this before it happens again." House replies back to her as their eyes stay connected.

"House, here's your cane!" Rachel announces from beneath them both, handing the black, curved handle walking stick over to him before reaching out for Elizabeth's hand once more.

"You ok now Lizabeth?" The child then asks to the woman towering abover her, not knowing that at this point that it will take a long time with countless hours inside of a Therapist office until Elizabeth is ok again.

"I'm fine sweeite." Elizabeth lies to the child with a nod as adults often do in order to spare children from the harsh realities of the real world for as long as possible.

"Well then, I think it's time to head back to the party." House says in that casual voice once more even though his eyes have remained steady and focused on Elizabeth, just in case.

The woman nods in agreement to House's words as they all start off towards the front door of the restaurant again as the dull thud of House's cane moves up and into the mind of Elizabeth Turner, causing her to turn her head and look over at him.

"He had a cane. The man who….who did what he did to me, and... the first time I saw you walk into the restaurant with your cane...it all came back to me in a matter of seconds." Elizabeth explains to him softly and with great reverence, much like a child at confession, needing him to understand about the trigger that had set things into motion.

"Who had a cane?" Rachel asks from below them both, her sweet little face now turned up to look at Elizabeth.

"No one important honey. Now come on and let's find Paige so you two can go down the slide together." Elizabeth lies once more as she opens the front door to the restaurant.

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It is a little past nine when House walks into the door of Cuddy's place, resting his cane against the wall as snuggled up in his arms is a sleeping Rachel, who had drifted off into her dreams a few short minutes after they had set out for home.

"Hey, how'd the party go?" Cuddy whispers to him after walking into the foyer to greet him.

"Oh you know...same old same old. Screaming kids, annoying parents, enough birthday cake to feed an army. Oh…..and that nut job Elizabeth Turner going all psycho on me out in the parking lot." House whispers back to her, handing Rachel over to Cuddy when she reaches out for the child.

"What?" Cuddy asks him with confusion.

"Put Rachel to bed and then we'll talk." House says to her as his eyes move down to the sleeping child with his hand caressing the top of her head gently for a moment.

Cuddy watches him silently, the way he's looking at Rachel right now telling her that any information he has to share with her regarding Elizabeth Turner will also somehow include her daughter.

"Ok." She says for now, leaving anymore questions to wait until Rachel is tucked into bed and she is alone with House.


	11. Chapter 11

Hi everyone. So glad to hear how many of you liked the last chapter. Now…Huddy time ;)

**Chapter 11**

"I can't believe it." Cuddy whispers solemnly as she sits next to House on the sofa as the things he has told her about Elizabeth Turner are so far removed from the woman she thought she had known. "I mean, Elizabeth always gave me the impression of someone completely in control. I never once had an inkling that something like this could have happened to her." Cuddy adds as her mind continues to mull over what House has just told her about the woman.

"Well in your defense, I don't think there are too many people in this world who can look at a person and say…._hey, I think that person there was abused as a chi_ld." House points out to her as he leans back into the sofa a bit.

Cuddy studies him for a moment. "Well then how did you figure it out?" She questions.

"There was something about the way Elizabeth reacted to seeing me specifically that was very strange. I mean here's this woman who's wound tighter than a watch on a OCD person who likes to wind his watch, and yet, underneath all of that I can see she shaken and ready to fall to pieces the moment I turn around and look at her. Which of course made me want to dig a little deeper to see what this broad was all about. I just never thought my first tactic regarding questions abuse would have hit the nail on the head so quickly ….especially not with such precision." House explains to her while running his hand over his thigh.

The dull ache now coursing through the limb fells much like that of throbbing, infected tooth. Irritating and painful and seemingly never ending at times.

"You must be tired after such an eventful couple of hours." Cuddy says softly, seeing the exhaustion now creeping up onto his face as House continues to rub the spot on his thigh that is obviously hurting him right now.

"Well, it's not like I was puking my guts out or a bustling poop factory like you were earlier today…..but yeah, I am a little tired." He confessed to her with a half smirk, never too tired to tease her.

Cuddy shakes her head at him, placing her hand on his other left leg. "Come on, we can talk about this more in the morning. For right now I'll get you some Ibuprofen and then we can both get a nice, hot shower together before we go to bed." She offers to him with a small smile.

"You do realize you're still highly contagious?" He tells her jokingly while pushing her hand away.

Cuddy holds back her smile, "Ok then, I'll just take a shower by myself." She says to him coyly before getting up from the couch, knowing without a doubt that he be following right behind her in no time.

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Hot water, slick soapy bubbles and steam combine inside the shower as House stands behind Cuddy.

His hands are moving over her hips and up to her ribs, sliding forward to cup her breasts as his mouth lowers down to her right shoulder.

He never thought he would need this as much as he does. Never thought he would enjoy the simple act of touching her so much because of the easy, warm and soothing feeling it sends into the center of his soul.

Kissing the wet skin on her shoulder he breathes in the scent of the soap while listening to the steady drum of the shower. Feeling her body lean back against him as Cuddy moves her hands on top of his, guiding them down to her stomach before moving them back up to her breasts once more.

"I love touching you." He confesses into her skin with a low whisper, his hands squeezing her breasts gently as his thumbs roll over her nipples.

"You have amazing hands" Cuddy whispers back to him with a smile, her face turning slightly so she can capture his lips in a small, soft kiss before she turns forward once more.

She should leave this moment alone, leave them here where they are surrounded with nothing but warm caresses, but ever since he has told her about Elizabeth, there has been something gnawing at her. Something that will not let her be.

"Greg, there's something I need to tell you." Cuddy says softly, turning around to face him with her hands now resting on his chest.

"You want me to wash that gorgeous ass of yours?" He asks her with a leering grin.

Cuddy bites down on her bottom lip, wanting nothing more than to give into the seductive nature of his smile. Wanting nothing more than to freeze this moment and not move forward …but, she can't because her heart is now heavy with the secret she's kept from him for far too long.

"Greg, do you remember that that girl named Eve who came into the clinic a few years ago that you treated? She had been the victim of rape and you where the only one she would talk to about what happened to her." Cuddy asks him in a cautious slow, voice, knowing that that she is now treading on some very sacred ground.

Instantly she sees the recognition move across his face. The memories of that particular girl causing the corners of his mouth turn down from the smile it is holding.

"Yeah, I remember her, so what?" He answers backto her with his eyes studying every inch of her face, trying to find why she has felt the need to bring the girl up.

For a moment Cuddy looks down at their feet, gaining the courage to move forward with the conversation before she tilts her head up and speaks to him once more.

"Well, a few weeks after Eve left the hospital, she called me and she told me about a conversation she had with you in the park." Cuddy starts to say, her words spoken carefully, her tone soft and nonthreatening.

House feels a chill run up his spine as he listens to her while the old and ancient memories from his past being stirring inside their graves.

"Listen, I don't know what Eve may have told you…" He interuppts, trying to keep his voice calm but failing as the tone his words reek with a defensive quality.

Cuddy looks up at him with the worry lines on her forehead deepening and the thought of how many times the man standing before her has suffered in the past, sending a deep, sharp pain into her heart, even if some of the suffering was by his own hands.

"Greg, I know about what your Father did to you when you were a child. I know about the ice baths and the times he would make you sleep outside in the backyard when you were just a little boy." Cuddy finally confesses, her eyes staying connected to his as one of her hands that had been resting on his chest moves up to caress his face.

_"You don't know anything." _House suddenly says to her with a sharp, jagged whisper. Backing away from her as he reaches for the door to the shower.

He's panicking and he knows it, but there is nothing he can do about that right now. He needs to get out of this damn shower and get the hell away from her as his heart is beating wildly like a rabbit being chased by a hound. His breath shallow and ragged as he turns and abruptly leaves the shower.

He can hear the sound of his feet slapping against the tile floor, see his hands shaking as he grabs for the towel on the rack in front of him and wraps it around his waist.

"Greg, wait!" Cuddy say as she starts to exit the shower behind him, but he's already walking out of the bathroom and into the master bedroom not sure of where he is going, only knowing he needs to get away here, away from her as the words she has just spoken to him are now coursing through every fiber of his being.

Wrapping a towel around her body, Cuddy walks swiftly from the bathroom and into the bedroom, catching up to House just before he's able to cross the threshold and head down the hallway.

"Greg, stop." She pleads softly, her hand on his arm once more as she pulls him around to face her.

His eyes are wide and filled with one thing she would never thought she would see in them….pure and unbridled fear.

"You knew all this time and never said anything to me?" House shouts at her as he pulls his arm away from her, his jaw clenched as he stares down at her with piercing blue eyes.

"I ….I didn't know how to approach you with something like that and so I didn't say anything until now." Cuddy says in her defense as she pushes her heart past the way he had jerked his arm free from her grasp just now with that look upon his face when he did so, filled with utter contempt for her and the secret she has kept from him.

House lets out a curt, sarcastic laugh.

"Oh I see, you couldn't tell me before... but now that I'm screwing you on a regular basis and taking care of Rachel you figured it's time for you to confess? Why? So you can try and fix every fucked up thing that's ever happened to me in my life? Well I've got news for you Lisa, the most fucked up thing that ever happened to me you can't fix because there's no way to replace the muscle that's missing in my leg! " He yells back at her with a fury, his heart pounding loudly inside of his ears, his blood boiling with an old hatred that was born long before he had met her.

Cuddy let's out a gasp, feeling as if he has just punched her squarely in the stomach while hearing the unmistakable voice inside of her head telling her that it was only a matter of time before the darker memories of their past would tear them apart.

"Mommy?" Rachel suddenly cries out from her room as the sound of House's yelling has startled the child from her dreams.

"I'm coming honey." Cuddy says quickly as the opposing tug on her heart is not something she can ignore.

"Go check on Rachel." House tells her solemnly before breaking the eye contact between them as he limps past her and towards the bed, sitting down wearily upon it.

Cuddy looks over at him for a brief moment, feeling the other painful tug on her heart that is just as strong before she turns and leaves the room.

##################################################################################################

'Mommy I'm scared. Why is House mad?" Rachel asks with a whimper, looking so very small in her toddler bed as Cuddy enters her room.

"Shh baby, it's ok. House isn't mad." Cuddy lies to her while sitting down beside her daughter in the bed.

"Then why's House yelling?" Rachel asks her with a worried voice.

Cuddy cups the child's face with her hands. "House and I were just talking, it's nothing to worry about baby." She assures her daughter, even though right now her heart is still shell shocked over the angry words House had spoken to her.

"Does House needing a time out?" Rachel asks her Mommy with the pure innocence of a child.

The comment causes a faint smile to rise up on Cuddy's face. "No Rachel, I think House will be ok without have a time out." She responds softly.

#####################################################################################################

It is about fifteen minutes later and after Rachel has fallen back to sleep that Cuddy walks back into the master bedroom.

"Greg, I know….." She starts to say, stopping dead in her tracks when she finds herself alone in the room, the towel that House had wrapped around his waist now lying on her bed.

Biting down on her bottom lip once more, Cuddy walks into the master bathroom, hoping to find him there. But once more her heart sinks as this room is empty as well.

From behind her, she hears the sound of a car starting, her legs carrying her over to the open window across the room where she peers out of it just in time to see House backing out of her driveway in his car, heading down the dark street and into the night.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The bar was just what it should be.

No catching tunes playing on the overhead speakers. No servers greeting you with cheesy smiles and awful uniforms before telling you about the blooming onion or jalapeño poppers they were trying to get you to stuff your faces with.

Nope, this place was the real deal. The quintessential old school bar on the more seeder side of town where there were no need for gimmicks, or the persona of middle class America at it's finest.

This place was just what a should be, what it was born to be without apology. What a bar is _supposed_ to be, or... to be more precise, what many bars _used _to be before corporate America saw the profit in letting Mommy and Daddy tie one on while their kids munched on glorified burgers and chicken tenders, and it was inside this hole in the wall bar that House knew he was exactly where he belonged.

Here, with the heavy, stale smoke that filled the air around him. Here, where the people inside weren't polished or refined or talking about their vacations to Cancun. Here, where he could sit alone at the end of the ancient carved oak bar with its tarnished brass railing without the bartender trying to chat it up with him because the guy actually _knew _how to be a bartender.

It was in this place that House had decided to start his decent back into the world he once knew. The world that was tarnished and dark. Having resolved himself to the cold, hard truth that it would be better to give into the darkness inside of him, better to burrow back into the dirt than to let Cuddy be soiled by yet another awful truth about him.

It would have never worked out between them anyway, even though he had allowed himself to hope against hope that it would.

Raising the glass of scotch in his hand up to his lips now, House tastes only bitterness as he swallows the warm liquid.

Yes, his Father had fucked him up good. Made sure that by the age of nine he would never be even remotely close to normal. Never be able to really open up to anyone in his life because of the bond of resentment, fear and physical abuse his old man had formed between them.

He had of course never told his Mother about the abuse. Never told her the truth about how he got the bruises and occasional black eye because his Father had threatened him in the most demoralizing ways to keep silent.

_You better not go crying to Mommy, you little turd! You better learn to take your punishment like a man!_

With the memories of his past now eating away at his brain, House motions to the bartender to fill up his glass with more scotch.

The man nods in recognition, pulling the bottle of amber liquid out from underneath the bar and filing his stout glass promptly before turning his back to him and waiting on the next customer.

Placing the glass back up to his lips, House takes a long swallow of the scotch, letting the liquid move over his tongue but still tasting only bitterness before it slides down his throat.

Seated across the bar from him is petite brunette, who..., like this place, has seen her better days. She's is still very attractive though. Her body toned and having nice, supple curves. Her breasts proudly on display in her tight red, blouse.

But even with those appealing features the woman is as tarnished as the brass railing wrapping around the bar. The life she has lived taking away the light in her cool blue eyes and leaving only a clouded haze of nothingness.

With his long index finger moving over the rim of his glass, House's continues to study the woman as she pulls out a cigarette from the pack she has just picked up from the bar. Her manicured nails painted the same color as her red blouse.

He guesses she is in her late thirties as her blue eyes connect with his, causing her to pause before lighting her cigarette.

It is in that moment, in that brief exchange between them that House knows he knows he could take this woman home with him tonight. Knows that he could be fucking her with no strings attached and getting only what _he _needed before telling to leave after it was all over so he could finish the night off by drinking even more scotch just to numb whatever feelings may be left inside of him.

It may have taken him months, but at last House finally realized why he was better off alone. Better off pushing Lisa away from him now before they went any further because the simple truth was... eventually he would end hurting her by not being the man she needed him to be.

With those thoughts weighing heavy in his mind, House started to nod to the bartender once more for a refill when he felt a soft tap on his shoulder.

"Hey, you look like you could use some company." The brunette who had been sitting across from the bar says to him. Giving him a small smile as her eyes try to recapture some of the spark they once had for his benefit.

House looks at her quietly for a moment before a smile stretches across his lips.

"I bet you say that to all the guys." He teases in a low voice while sinking further into the darker places he once knew and leaving the light behind.

##################################################################################################################################

"Come on. Pick up." Cuddy whispers, chewing nervously at her bottom lip as she paces the living room floor.

It's been a few hours since House has left and in that time she's called his phone at least a half a dozen times, keeping the cell phone presse close to her ear.

With a worried sigh, Cuddy peers out of the window inside her living room and into the night that seems to have grown darker since the last time she's looked out into the quiet night.

Within her next breath the sound of House's voice is now inside of her head. The dry tone of his voicemail recording telling her to leave a message.

With a sigh of frustration she clears her throat and does leave a message instead of just hanging up this time.

"Call me." She says simply, wishing she could steady the worried tone in her voice. Wishing she could steady her mind and her heart that are hell bent on making sure she gets no sleep tonight until she hears from him.

###########################################################################################################################

It is an hour later when the brunette's hand is on House's chest as she whispers into his ear.

"You have a really nice place." She says in a deep, throaty voice as he ushers her inside of his apartment.

"Listen sweetheart, the last thing I want to do is talk about my place." House tells her frankly, his voice having an edge to it while remaining just charming enough to ensure she'll be flat on her back soon enough.

The brunette seems to like what he's saying to her because a second after he speaks she's leaning in to kiss him, but before their lips can meet, House turns his head.

His actions cause her to let out a soft laugh.

"You know it's really sweet that you're so shy." She says to him with a smile while wrapping her arms around his neck.

Grabbing onto her hips, House backs the brunette up against the wall.

"Let's get one thing straight here. If there's one thing I'm not….. it's shy." He starts to say to her with an intense and unwavering gaze.

"And the reason I don't want to kiss you is because this is not the _start _of something. This is simply me getting to fuck a stranger and you getting to do the same in return and when we're done…. I'll expect you to get dressed and leave. Understand?" House finishes telling her in no uncertain terms

"So you just expect me to fuck you like I'm some kind of hooker?" The woman whispers up to him with surprise. Her blue eyes now wide and with a slight glimmer to them as she speaks.

House nods. "Take or leave it. You obviously know you're way out if you've come here looking for anything more than that." He explains to her coldly before turning and limping towards his bedroom.

He doesn't even make it half way down the hall before he hears the sound of her high heels following after him. The timing of them slow and maybe a bit unsure, but following him just the same.

"Do you really think this is going to make you forget about her?" The woman suddenly asks from behind him knowingly, causing House to turn back in her direction with the both of them now standing face to face in the middle of the hallway.

"I think I made it clear before I didn't bring you here to talk." He tells her, the anger within him starting to rise up to the surface as he takes a step towards her.

The cool blue eyes of the woman flicker once more. Her hands rising up suddenly as she starts to slowly unbutton her top.

"Fine." She replied while pursing her lips together, watching his eyes loweiring to her breasts that are clasped between her red bra. "Then just take me now from behind and fuck me right here in this hallway." She challenges to him, her blue eyes now glowing with something eerie and dark.

She gets off on this kind of thing, House can see that clearly written across her face right now even though the shadows of the dimly lit hallway are surrounding them.

Her entire body now trembling slighlty at the though of him treating her like nothing more than a sex toy her for _his _enjoyment.

He could take her and fuck her in anyway he wanted to and as many times as he wanted to tonight. He could degrade her, calling her _anything _he wanted from a whore to a slut and she would beg him for more. He could drive himself deep and hard inside of any hole on her body he chose without mercy, setting the anger seething within him free without so much as a whimper of protest from her.

With a cold stare, House takes a step closer to the woman, studying the haunting, peculiar gleam in her eyes as her teeth bite down on her bottom lip in anticipation.

"Get out." He then says to her flatly before taking a step back from her.

"What?" She asks, shocked at his rejection after she has completely and utterly offered her body up to him.

"You heard me. I said get out." House repeats, now with a sternness to his tone.

The woman lets out a curt laugh and begins to button her top.

"You know, you're really fucked up. First, you basically tell me all you want is to fuck me and then you do a complete about face when I tell you that I'm down for whatever you have in mind. No wonder the woman are obviously trying to forget about was smart enough to send your pathetic ass packing." She comments over to him bitterly before turning and heading towards the front door of the apartment.

House waits until he hears the door slam behind her before he lets out a long sigh.

"For your information, she didn't send my ass packing." He whispers with regret into the empty air surrounding him.

"I left on my own because I don't want her to have to settle for someone as fucked up as I am." House finishes as he walks back towards his bedroom.

It is under the cool glow of the moonlight filtering into the bedroom and as he stands in the doorway that House feels his heart sink down to his stomach, his mouth dry, his head pounding with disbelief as he finds Cuddy, sitting on his bed with her cool grey eyes fixed upon him.

She's been here the whole time, hearing everything that's gone on. Hearing of the betrayal he was ready to commit against her.

"So one fight between us and you're ready to fuck some stranger?" She asks him coolly before getting to her feet.

House looks away from her for a moment as the sight of her calm demeanor does not fool him one bit. He's hurt her and it drives a wedge deep inside of his soul.

"Lisa, if tonight has taught you anything, it's that I'm not the kind of man you should be with and we both know that." He finally says to her as his eyes make their way back to her face.

Looking up at him, Cuddy sets her jaw before giving him a nod.

"Fine, Greg…I understand. I can't make you want to be with me and I certianlty can't make you want to be a part of Rachel's life. Just like I couldn't be the one to make you stop taking vicodin. _You_ have to want this for yourself, even if it hurts sometimes, and since being with me is obvioulsy too much for you to handle, then it's better if we end things now before we both end up doing awful things to each other." She tells him, feeling her heart breatking and using every ounce of strength she has inside of her to keep from shedding one tear in his prescence as she walks past him, heading out into the hallway and leaving him alone in the bedroom.

Once more House heards the door to his aparment slam shut, only this time his is left alone in the darkness.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Three weeks later and after Cuddy had ended things between them, House now found hmself traveling through a new and unfamiliar world. A world where Lisa Cuddy had put up a high and insurmountable wall around her heart when it came to him. A world where she no longer return his calls and sent his cases to him via his team insead of hand delivering them to him herself. A world, where when he did try to talk to her inside of her office of or in the middle of a deserted hallway about what had happened between them, she would simply walk away. The few conversations they did end up having in this new and painful world consisting only of the medical issues at hand for that day.

"She won't even talk to me." House mutters over to Wilson as he finds himself sitting in his best friends office.

This is the first time in weeks he has come here, avoiding Wilson soon after he told his friend of the breakup because in truth he was in no mood for a lecture.

"Lisa's hurt." Wilson starts to say, sitting across the desk from House.

"She's risked everything to be with you and you let her down in one of the worst ways a person can by almost cheating on her with another woman." He reminds his friend.

"Gee Jimmy, thanks for the pep talk. Remind me to give you the same advice when you actually go through with cheating on Sam." House replies back to him sarcastically.

Wilson let's out sigh. "What do you want from her, House?" He then asks his friend directly.

House shifts his eyes to the floor. "I want Lisa to talk me." He replies flatly, running his hand over the curved wood of his cane.

"Oh, no…you want more than that. You want to get back together with her." Wilson counters.

House looks up at Wilson with a sour expression. "_I want her to be happy_." He stressed, still holding onto his resolve that she really is better off without him.

"And you don't think she can be happy with you because of what your Dad did to you when you were a kid?" Wilson asks with disbelief.

House clenches his jaw. "If I would have known you were going to bring up my old man I would have never told you about what he did to me." He tells Wilson with a glare as this new world in which Cuddy is moving swiftly out of his orbit has caused him to open up more to Wilson than he's ever done before in the past.

"House, what your Dad did to you back when you were a kid does not define who you are today. It doesn't mean just because your Dad alienated you and hurt you that you can't love someone and open up to them now." Wilson tries to tell him, wanting nothing more than to see his best friend happy once more and with the only woman who truly understands him.

"Our past is what defines all of us! It makes us into the people we are today!" House growls back at him.

"It does to _a point_." Wilson replies, not backing down an inch as his eyes remained fixed on his best friend, "But there are thousands if not millions of other people out in this world who had the same or worse happened to them at the hands of their parents and they have learned to rise above it. They've learned to love and feel worthy of love and they've learned to trust again." He points out with an earnest tone.

"And then there are people like me who don't rise above it. Who know they're better off alone then screwing up other peoples lives." House fires back, not swayed in the least.

"House, that's bullshit and you know it!" Wilson suddenly yells, getting up from chair and now staring down at his best friend. "You've opened yourself up more to Lisa and to Rachel in the past few months then you've ever done with anyone else in your life, but …..it's always been on _your terms. _So when Lisa told you that she knew about what you Dad did to you, instead of facing that head on and talking to her about it...you got scared and ran away."

Looking up at Wilson who is now is seething with anger and frustration, House grips onto his can a little tighter.

"Why does all of this even matter so much to you? I've been without a woman in my life for years and you and I have gotten along just fine." He asks Wilson coolly, unmoved by his friend's display as he's seen the Jimmy vs. the world played out before him to many times.

Wilson lets out a deep sigh. "Because House, you were happy with her. Because you and Lisa had something that made the both of you so much better together then you could ever be apart, and because Rachel brought something out inside of you that I didn't even existed until I saw how you were with her." Wilson says as his voice has now softened. His anger leaving him now as the thoughts troubling him deep inside of his heart come rising up to the surface.

Seated below him, House stands up, saying nothing in response to his friend's words as he turns and walks out of Wilson's office.

#################################################################################################################

"I'm quitting." House states frankly after walking into Cuddy's office announced.

From her desk Cuddy moves her eyes up slowly from the computer screen to look at him.

"Ok." She says flatly, keeping a very tight rein on her heart that is still mourning the loss of him.

"Don't do that." House tells her with an annoyed tone as he walks towards her desk.

"Don't do what? You just said you're quitting and I said ok. Just make sure to have your resignation letter on my desk by tomorrow." Cuddy replies.

Her face is void of any emotion, for to show even an inkling of it could be her downfall. Her eyes, now lifeless and dull in his presence to keep him from looking deeper into them and seeing that losing him has turned her world upside down.

Watching as House rounds the corner of his desk, Cuddy plants both her feet and her heart firmly beneath her.

"Lisa…..I…" He starts to say.

"Don't you dare." Cuddy warns, getting up abruptly and nearly causing him to stumble backwards as her eyes now hold within them an anger that is just barely being contained.

"I did what you wanted, House. I did _exactly what you wanted _by ending things between us. So don't you dare come in here threatening to quit unless you really mean it because I have no reason to try and talk you out of it anymore." Cuddy tells him, her teeth clenched so tightly it's a wonder her jaw hasn't fractured from the stress.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." House tells her in a hushed whisper, horrified by the pain he has caused her as his chest tightens with remorse, his hand reaching out and taking hold of her arm.

"The hell you didn't. You knew exactly what you were doing. You knew exactly what it would take for me to give up on us, but don't worry I'll be fine. Now get out." Cuddy whispers sharply, pulling her arm free from his grasp just before there is a knock at her office door.

"Dr. Cuddy I'm sorry to disturb you, but we need you in the clinic." One of the nurses at the front desk says to her, offering her a sympathetic smile, as of course, the news of the Dean of Medicine's break up with Dr. House has spread like wildfire throughout the hospital.

Cuddy nods towards the woman, brushing past House without even giving him a second look before leaving her office.

#########################################################################################################

A few hours later Cuddy is finally home, sitting on the sofa with Rachel after eating dinner with her and now currently watching the Little Mermaid with the little girl.

"Mommy do you think I can be a mermaid some day?" Rachel asks while snuggling up a little closer to Cuddy.

"I think you can be anything you want to be sweetie." Cuddy whispers back to her daughter, pulling Rachel closer to her and kissing the top of her daughter's head while taking in the scent of her hair.

The past few weeks have been painfully heartbreaking for Rachel after Cuddy had to deliver the news to her daughter as delicately as she could, that House would not be coming over to see them anymore.

"Mommy, you're squishing me" Rachel informs her with a giggle as Cuddy continues to hold her close.

"Sorry sweetie." Cuddy replies softly, loosening her grip on Rachel while smoothing out the top of her daughter's hair.

"It's ok, Mommy." Rachel assures her with a dazzling smile while patting her thigh with her small hand before her head suddenly turns upon hearing the sound of a car pulling up into the driveway.

Following her daughter's lead, Cuddy turns her head as well and looks out of the window as Rachel quickly stands up on the couch beside her to get a better view.

"Mommy look! House is coming to our house!" The little girl squeals a second later with delight. Jumping off the sofa and running towards the front door in a flash before Cuddy even has a chance to turn around.

"Rachel wait." Cuddy warns, immediately getting up off of the couch and following her daughter out into the foyer.

But before she can reach the girl, Rachel has managed to open up the front door.

"House! I missded you so much!" Rachel yells with a happy, high pitched voice, practically knocking him off his feet as her tiny arms wrap tightly around his legs.

"I missed you too, kid." House says softly to the child while caressing the top of her head.

Staring over at him, Cuddy chooses her words carefully.

"Did you forget something here?" She asks him calmly, her arms crossed in front of her.

"House come and watch Little Mermaid with me!" Rachel interrupts before he can reply to Cuddy's question.

"Rachel, I don't think House has time-" Cuddy starts to say.

"Little Mermaid you say? Why I wouldn't miss it for the world." House says to Rachel with a big smile and a funny voice.

"Yeah! Come on, House!" Rachel tells him, her entire face lit up with excitement as she then grabs his hand and starts to guide him into the living room.

Watching House as he enters into the living room with Rachel after not so much as speaking one word to her, Cuddy swallows hard and holds back her anger.

He has no right to do this her. He has _no right _to torture her or to torture Rachel in this way as if the past few weeks have never happened.

Closing the front door, she is however resolved to let none of her hurt and anger brewing inside of her show while Rachel is still awake. Knowing that in a few hours her child sill succumb to sleep.

Heading out into the living room, Cuddy is now silently praying that she'll have enough strength to make it through the next few hours without breaking down completely, a sharp, stabbing pain boring into her chest the instant she sees House lifting Rachel carefully up onto his lap as he sits on the sofa with her.

"Mommy, come sit with us!" Rachel then says with a wide grin while patting the empty cushion beside them, not knowing that in that breif moment her Mother's tattered heart has just suffered another devasting and painful blow.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

It had been nearly two hours later when Rachel had finally fallen asleep as House cradled her in his lap. The look shared between him and Cuddy as she took the child from him in order to tuck her sleeping daughter to into bed, one that was filled with hurt, sadness and confusion as to his presence here tonight.

The turmoil currently brewing inside of Cuddy was almost unbearable as she turned and left Rachel's bedroom, not closing the door completely in her departure just in case the child would wake up and call out for her.

"You can do this. Just keep it together." Cuddy whispers to herself as she starts of down the hallway.

Her emotions have been literally torn to shreds tonight after seeing Rachel filled with so much happiness as House watched The Little Mermaid with her, his voice low and sweet when he had talked her daughter while she had quickly excused herself from the room and made popcorn instead of sitting down with them to watch the movie.

Of course when she had returned to the living room a few minutes later, she had thought up another lie of having to call the hospital next. Leaving the living room once more and dialing into her voice mail just so she could avoid the inevitable for a short while longer.

However, eventually she did go back into the living room and so, once more she had tapped into the well of strength within her. Sitting only inches away from House but never once letting her gaze falter from the TV screen before her.

Taking in a deep breath through her nose, she now readies herself once more to come face to face with House, this time however, there will be no child, or hospital business, or any other type of excuse that she can use to prevent the deeply personal conversation from occurring between them.

As she walks into the living room, Cuddy is stunned for a moment to find the room empty.

_It's all for the best anyway, _She tells herself, closing her eyes she struggles with parts of her that are sad and yet relieved at the same time that he has left.

Really it's all for the best as his absence is all the confirmation she's needed all along. The final missing piece of the puzzle falling into place and showing her the complete picture before her.

She knows House loves her and knows what they had together was real. In fact, it was probably the most real and true thing that has happened to her with a man in a very, very long time.

However, it's also very plain to see while standing inside of her empty living room, that House will never be able to open up to her completely.

Sure, he'll want her and miss her from time to time as well as crave that feeling they had created together but...from underneath her closed eyes she knows House is just too afraid or maybe too scarred by the events in his past to ever really trust her in they way she needs him to.

"Can we talk now?' House suddenly says from behind her, watching intently as Cuddy jumps slightly before turning around to face him.

She doesn't want to ache for him this much.

Doesn't want to feel the painful tug on her heart when she looks up into his blue eyes as he is someone who will never completely be hers.

And so, she quickly retreats back behind the walls protecting her heart, pulling up the barbed wire in the most effective way she knows how in order to keep him out.

"Funny, I remember _I _wanted to talk to you a couple of weeks ago. But instead you went out to a bar and found some stranger to fuck." She replies to him in a sharp and pointed whisper so as not to wake Rachel, her anger, once more seething and so very raw at the moment.

"I didn't _fuck _anyone, you know that." House points out to her in a direct whisper of his own while taking a step closer to her.

Cuddy lets out a cruel, short laugh of disgust. "So what? Just because you didn't screw that woman I'm supposed to welcome you back into my life with open arms?" She asks him angrily.

"I'm not asking you to do that." House replies back to her, catching her completely off guard.

"Then what are you doing here, House?" Cuddy questions to him with an exasperated tone, emotionally exhausted to the point where she is ready to tell him to leave and never come back.

"I missed talking to you and I missed seeing Rachel." House confesses to her with a soft voice as his eyes lower to the floor for a moment.

The words had been hard for him to say, but because of the toll the past few weeks have had on his heart they now flow with a bit less awkwardness from his lips.

Cuddy looks away from him, shaking her head in disbelief as she fights back her tears.

"No…you can't do this to me." She starts to say to him, catching herself before her voice starts to show the depth of the pain she is feeling, her gaze returning to his face as she takes a step back from him.

"I let you into my heart and let my daughter fall in love you with you too because I believed in us. But, I'm not going to let you back into our lives just because you miss us. I won't that to myself anymore and I won't do that to Rachel because the next time when I get too close to you, I'll only have myself to blame when you end up hurting not only me but Rachel again." Cuddy tells him, ignoring the message from her heart that is begging her not to do this as her head whispers to her to be strong and suffer through the pain.

"You're right." House replies back to her in a low whisper, leaving Cuddy stunned once more as he closes the distance between them.

Her breath catches in her throat as he leans down closer to her and rest his hand on her hip.

"Don't." She manages to breathe out just before House lowers his lips onto hers, kissing her tenderly.

She should push him away. _She should hit him hard in the chest and tell him to get the hell out_.

But his kiss is so gentle, so heartbreaking filled with every good thing about him that her body is left frozen in place and unable to move.

Slowly opening up his eyes, House moves his hand up to Cuddy's cheek as their lips part.

"Lisa, the reason I came over here tonight wasn't because I wanted you to give me a second chance." He starts to explain to her as his eyes move over every inch of her face.

"I came here tonight because I wanted to tell you in person I dropped off my resignation letter in your office tonight after you had left because I finally let myself face the truth. I'm a former drug addicted who had a mental breakdown and who is only good at brining people pain and misery into peoples their lives. I'm a man who is the epitome of what every man shouldn't be and Iwas fooling myself and fooling you into thinking I could ever be more than that. But one thing I wanted you to know is, although I've always needed you in my life….you've never really needed me in yours. I just made you think that you did by being the selfish bastard that I am." House finishes, meaning every single word he has spoken to her even though it's killing him inside to admit it how very pathetic and manipulative he has been with her throughout all of these years, his eyes, dark and somber as he turns and starts limping towards the front door.

"I don't believe you." Cuddy responds, her voice now breaking the barrier of a whisper, her emotions reared up on their hind legs as she catches up to him, placing her hand upon his arm before he can take hold of the doorknob.

"I don't care if you believe me. Just let me go." House tells her in a dull and weary tone while keeping his back facing her.

Undaunted, Cuddy moves in front of him, stopping him from going any further.

"_Did you ever really want this to work between us as much as I did? Or was it all just a bunch of bullshit from the start?" _She asks him directly as her pride and anger collide with each other, refusing to let him go without hearing a response from him that she _will _believe.

House pauses before answering her, feeling the pull of wanting her, of wanting this, of wanting them together so much it hurts him more than he ever thought possible while also feeling the pain in his gut over never wanting to hurt her or Rachel ever again.

"You know I wanted this to work." He finally confesses to her, feeling his throat tightening as he looks into her cool grey eyes.

"Then stop running away from what you think you don't deserve and stay with me so we can make this work." Cuddy tells him in a voice that is strained from the weight of emotions now bearing down upon it.

"I can't." House replies back to her, his hand reaching towards the door once more.

"Yes you can, you son of a bitch." Cuddy argues back to him with complete and utter conviction in her tone as her hand grabs hold of his wrist, preventing him from latching onto the door knob.

House takes in a the breath as a heavy silence quickly surrounds them. Their bodies pressed against one another in this heartbreaking lover's play. The moment between them, the kind of stuff that Shakespeare was famous for as it speaks of lovers who simply cannot be.

However, even in the face of all of this and even though his mind has told him time and time again how futile it is to keep hoping for something that will never last because of who he is, even now….Cuddy's gaze never wavers. Even though her eyes are rimmed with tears, she holds her ground, unwilling to move.

She fighting for him with everything she has. Fighting for _them_ with everything she has inside of her and without a care of what damage it is doing to her heart. The woman in peril before him, so amazingly beautiful and strong and filled with everything he believes he could never have in his life, standing in front of him with her jaw set and her eyes alive with that never ending fire she has inside of her.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore." He finally says to her in a low whisper of defeat while resting his forehead against hers.

"Lisa, you deserve better than me…even if you don't believe me." House adds lifting his head from hers as his fingers move over to the pulse in her neck.

"Don't you get it yet?" Cuddy asks him with a hoarse voice as her hand moves up to cup the back of his neck.

"There's _nothing_ you could ever do to me that would ever hurt me more than what you do to _yourself_ because of that something inside of you that makes _you believe _you don't deserved to be loved." She tells him, a single tear finally falling down her cheek as the years of watching his own self imposed destruction finally succeed in collapsing the wall around her heart.

Looking at her now, House has nothing left to say. No argument to the truth she has spoken to him. His defenses no match for the weapons she throws at him as they are aimed straight for his heart.

Once more he reaches for the door, however this time his rest his palm heavily against it. His body pressing closer into hers as he leans down and kisses her softly once more. His lips caressing hers as he lets go his cane so he can wrap his other arm around her waist, pulling her closer still as he lets go of everything inside of him that has told him he doesn't deserve her.

He keeps her close as their lips part, his face just a breath away from hers as he speaks.

"If you promise never to give up on me. I'll promise to keep trying. Ok?" He tells her simply with a genuine tone that hopes it will find its way to her heart.

"As long as you keep trying for yourself as much as you're trying for me." Cuddy responds softly to him before leaning into House and kissing him again.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

With his hands caressing her sides, House kisses his way down from Cuddy's neck to the valley between her breasts.

They are inside her bedroom now, her back planted firmly against the mattress beneath them, his lips, now sucking gently on her right nipple before moving over to her left one.

As he swirls his tongue around the hard little nub, he hears a soft gasp escape from Cuddy's full lips, the fingers of her left hand moving through the hair on the back of his head.

They are still finding their way through the wreckage of the emotional typhoon which had occurred between them earlier inside her living room. Moving together towards the sanctuary they both need right now. This intimate and sacred connection between them, easing their souls as it brings them closer to the shoreline.

With his mouth traveling lower onto Cuddy's body, House places several soft kisses on her abdomen, Cuddy's hand now caressing the back of his neck as he takes in the scent of her skin, his eyes rising up to meet her gaze as he scoots back a bit onto the bed before lifting her legs slightly and placing them on his shoulders.

Cuddy looks back at him with smoldering plumes of grey fire, her heart exposed to him as much as her body is right now.

He gives her a soft smile in return, closing his eyes briefly as he turns his head, caressing her left inner thigh with the stubble on his jaw before kissing it gently and trailing more soft kisses down the toned muscle until he reaches the apex between her legs.

Without hesitation, House starts to caress her clit with long, lazy sweeps of his tongue, hearing Cuddy's approval as she let's out a soft moan, arching her back slightly away from the mattress.

"Oh God." Cuddy whispers with an ache as House lets out a deep moan of approval, lowering his tongue as he starts to gently probe her entrance with it.

Cuddy raises her hips up higher, her breathing, choppy and shallow as she looks down at him before throwing her head back onto the pillow.

Her mind as well as her body are now pushed dangerously close to the brink as she reaches out blindly with her left hand and grips onto the sheets beneath.

No one has ever made her feel this way, has ever adored her and teased her and made her feel wanted in this way with such confidence and gentleness all at the same time.

"Greg." Cuddy whispers with an ache to her tone while touching his jaw, needing desperately to feel him inside of her. Needing to look into his eyes as they become one as the world quickly fades into the background around them.

House feels his breath catch in his throat as he lifts his head and their eyes connect. The sight of her, naked, beautiful and wanting only him, still something that causes him to take pause. remembering the long and somtimes treachous road that had led him here and to the woman who understands him like no other.

As the silent message of his love her is conveyed with the glance between them, House starts kissing his way back up Cuddy's body, finding her waiting for him with a breathless smile before he leans down to capture her lips while at the same time guiding himself slowly inside of her.

A shiver runs up his spine as she moans loudly into his mouth, her arms wrapping around his neck as he fills her completely.

His is now completely at her mercy, even if she doesn't know it. His body willing to do whatever it takes to make her cry out in pure ecstasy.

"You feel so good" House confessed to her in a gruff whisper that is filled with desire as he breaks away from their kiss, looking down at Cuddy he then begins to slowly pump in and out of her warm and inviting body.

Opening her mouth, Cuddy draws in a breath as her hips begin to move in time with his thrusts, her hands gripping onto his shoulders as the incrediable sensation of him moving inside of her floods her brain.

Once more House captures her lips in his kiss, his tongue sinking into her mouth, his cock sinking deeper inside of her over and over again as she feels his shoulders tense.

They moan in unison now, their chins brushing and colliding softly against one another as they break the kiss and continue to lock eyes.

It is within their next combined thrust that House slides his right hand underneath her, lifting her lower back slightly away from the mattress.

Cuddy reacts by gripping the hair on the back of his head before pressing her body closer to him.

She doesn't need to say to him what she wants to do next. This unwritten language of lovers, leaving him to help in turning them both on their sides as he keeps himself buried inside of her.

Carefuly they move together until House is lying on his back as Cuddy straddles him from above.

Planting both of her hands firmly onto the mattress below her, Cuddy then begins to move her hips in a slow, circular motion, her grey eyes alive with the all of the things he brings out from inside of her as House looks up at her with his hands caressing her hips.

She is a goddess on top of him, her body moving like searing liquid heat as she arches her back and winds her hips, his mouth opening as he lets out a deep moan,

Leaning forward, Cuddy beings to feel the spark of electricity building between her thighs before it runs up the length of her back, her body teetering on the edge of her orgasm when House suddenly pulls her down closer to him, their cheeks brushing against each other as he bucks his hips harder up into her.

She cries out into the side of his face as he continues to hold her close with the two of them fused into one.

Breathing hard, House moves his hand up to the back of Cuddy's neck, his lips kissing her shoulder with a hunger as he feels her body tremble on top of him, the wave of her orgasm, washing over him and taking him with it as he releases inside of her.

For a moment they are both weightless and caught up in the spiralling divinity they have created, the room filled with nothing but the sound of their heavy breathing as they hold each other close as their bodies slow their movements.

Lifting her head from his shoulder, Cuddy places as soft, tender kiss on House's lips as his hands are running lovingly up an down her back.

She wants to stay like this forever, with him inside of her and the feel of his heart pounding against her chest, however because of the thought of how her weight may be effecting his thigh, she instead lets out a soft sigh and rolls off of him and onto the mattress beside him.

"Hey, just where do you think you're going?" House questions to her playfully in a low whisper as he pulls her closer to him while wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing the top of her head.

With a smile, Cuddy rests her head on his shoulder, her hand now placed upon his chest as she breathes in the scent of his cologne.

"You know, sometimes I still feel like it was my fault." House suddenly says to her in a careful whisper as he looks up at the ceiling.

Cuddy lifts her head. "What?" She asks him with a bit of confusion as to what he is referring to as her hand stays splayed over the span of his chest.

House pauses for a moment as if he standing at the edge of cliff, not sure of whether or not he should take that leap of faith.

"My Dad abusing me. Sometimes I think it was at least partly my fault." He clarifies for her as his voice grows softer and his thumb nervous starts to rub her lower back.

"How can you even think that?" Cuddy immediately questions with shock.

"I was a really bad kid. Pretty much the same as I am now. Always breaking the rules, always doing things my way." House tries to explain to her with a shrug, feeling incredibly awkward at the moment but forcing himself to say the thoughts that sometimes plague him because she deserves to know why he guards that part of his life so fiercely.

"Greg." Cuddy says to him softly while propping herself up a bit on her elbow. "You know there's nothing a child could ever do that would warrant a parent to abuse them." She stresses, still shocked that he carries that kind of guilt with him after all of these years.

House nods, keeping his eyes locked onto hers.

"I know, but I can't help but feel the way I do sometimes." He tells her as he opens up himself more to her than he ever has before, seeing in her eyes the understanding that he was so afraid would not be there.

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It is the next morning when Rachel Cuddy is gently eased from her slumber by the morning sun now peaking through the blinds in her room, caressing her face as outside, the birds are singing their praises to the warm, early autumn day.

Rolling onto her back the toddler lets out a big yawn, stretching her arms above her head as she opens up her eyes, a dreamy smile overtaking her face when the smell of pancakes is register by her tiny button nose.

The child then instantly sits up in her bed, her young mind now working feverishly on the implications of that well remembered smells means as she hurriedly jumps down out of her bed and starts running towards the hallway.

"Mommy?" Rachel calls out just as she reaches the threshold of Cuddy's bedroom.

"I'm in the kitchen honey." Cuddy yells back to her from further down the hall.

The smell of pancakes is growing stronger as Rachel makes her way further down the hall. Her mind nudging her closer to the memories of all those times she woken up to this smell before, mostly on the weekends when Mommy doesn't have to go work, and…when House would stay here with them and make her pancakes that look like Mickey mouse.

Entering into the kitchen the child stops dead in her tracks as her assumptions are confirmed. Her blue eyes growing wide as she gasps in surprise while looking over at House who is standing by the stove with her Mommy.

The two of them are smiling as they talk softly to one another, her Mommy rising up on her tip toes to kiss House on his cheek as he flips a pancake from ontop of the griddel.

"Hey!" Rachel exclaims as she walks further into the kitchen.

"Hey yourself." House replies back to her as he turns to face her.

Rachel furrows her brow at him before her big blue eyes dart over to Cuddy.

"Mommy, I thought you said House not sleeping over here anymore?" The girl questions.

Cuddy bites down on her bottom lip, pondering for the moment how exactly to explain House's presence to the child, of course not wanting to go into their fight last night that had ending in them making love in the early hours of morning.

"Well honey, you see…." Cuddy starts to explain.

"Listen kid, you're Mommy told me last night after you fell asleep that I had been in time out long enough, and …..if I was a good boy, I could start spending time with the both of you again." House interrupts, explaining to the situation to Rachel in the simplest terms possible so she could understand.

"Really?" Rachel asks him with a hushed whisper as her eyes now move over to him.

"Really. Now do you want Mickey Mouse pancakes or not?" House asks the child with a smirk while catching a glimpse of Cuddy who is smiling over at him.

"Yes!" Rachel yells, raising her clenched fists in the air as the most precious smile House has ever seen streches across the small child's face.

**The End.**

**Well guys, as I said at the beginning of this fic, this story came about because of my muse who would not let me be until I wrote one last Huddy fic. I've always had the intention of ending this story before the new season started and thought this would be a good place to stop. I hope you all enjoyed reading Rules of Engagement as much as I enjoyed writing it and I thank each and everyone one of you for your great reviews and continued support of all of my Huddy fics! Now let's all sit back and see what Shore and Co. have in store for us on the show sicnce Huddy has FINALLY become canon!**

**VIVA LA HUDDY!**


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